


Path of Light

by Brook1



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-09
Updated: 2020-08-26
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:47:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 28
Words: 40,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24625735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brook1/pseuds/Brook1
Summary: LeafClan is recovering from a crippling sickness, and things are looking up. A group of cats from Twolegplace joins. The deputy, Swiftpath, doesn’t mind them but knows that not all LeafClan cats are so accepting. It doesn’t help that the leader, Poolstar, doesn’t seem to be aware of any unrest in his Clan.There is a growing threat from outside. Swiftpath and a newcomer, Maya, must work together to stay ahead of danger and unite LeafClan.Disclaimer: I own only the characters in the story, barring mentions of book characters. Erin Hunter owns the Warriors series and the traditions and ideas that go with it.
Relationships: OC/OC
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	1. Allegiances

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is my first story.

** LeafClan **

Leader: Poolstar- large pale blue-gray tom with dark blue eyes and black tail

Deputy: Swiftpath- small, lithe senior pale brown she-cat with blue eyes, white feet, and darker underbelly, graying muzzle

**Apprentice, Budpaw**

Medicine Cat: Gophershadow- plump black-and-brown tabby tom with yellow eyes

Warriors: Skyclaw- dark ginger she-cat with pale blue eyes

Birdhowl- tortoiseshell tom with amber eyes

**Apprentice, Icepaw**

Nativeflight- senior dark brown tabby tom with yellow eyes

Stonefeather- heavyset brown-and-gray mottled she-cat

Kitesnarl- solid orange she-cat

Ferretleap- large brown tom, young

Dapplewhisper- young, stunning mottled red, black, gray-blue, and black she-cat with clear green eyes

Fireshade- bright ginger tom

**Apprentice, Spiderpaw**

Longheart- senior long-furred white she-cat, deaf

Vinesplash- young tuxedo cat with white patch on back

Apprentices: Budpaw- gray tabby tom with orange eyes

Icepaw- very pale brown she-cat with blind white eyes

Spiderpaw- heavy, dark gray tom

Queens: Archfeather- black she-cat, mother of Spritekit (black-and-white tom), Hailkit (black she-kit), and Treekit (black-and-orange mottled tom), Birdhowl’s kits

Gorsepelt- brown tabby she-cat with gray eyes, surrogate of Swiftpath and Skyclaw, expecting

Elders: Jayheart- scraggly gray tom with blue eyes and white patches

Fatetail- tailless white she-cat with green eyes

Appleclaw- tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes

**Other**

Maya- pale yellow tabby she-cat with green eyes, loner

Fluffy- fuzzy gray-and-white tom, loner

Xavier- dark gray tom, kittypet

Gracie- orange-and-white patched she-cat, kittypet, mother to Hazel (orange tabby she-kit), Heather (tortoiseshell she-kit), Noel (dark gray tom), Killian (deaf white tom with blue eyes), and Wild (tiny gray tabby she-kit with green eyes), Xavier’s kits

Sherry- young black-spotted fawn-colored she-cat with yellow eyes, kittypet

Crunch- fawn tabby tom, kittypet

Leaf- black she-cat, loner

Ferret- thin brown tom, loner

Shell- stunning pale gray she-cat, rogue

Crimson- dark ginger tom, rogue

Vine- pale gray tabby tom, rogue

Jet- young jet-black she-cat with white face, rogue

Snarl- young black tom, rogue

**SpireClan**

Leader:  Foxstar- gray-and-ginger patched tom

Deputy:  Barrenwing- dark gray tabby tom with amber eyes

Medicine Cat:  Puddlefoot- gray tom

**Apprentice, Hawkfeather (mottled gray tom)**

Warriors:  Eagletalon- brown tom

Rockfall- gray tabby she-cat

**Apprentice, Sharppaw (ginger-and-gray she-cat)**

Wingpelt- white tom

Lynxfeather- unique golden she-cat with black patterned spots

**Apprentice, Jewelpaw (bright ginger she-cat)**

Stormfoot- gray tabby tom

Queens:  Songpool- dark blue-gray she-cat with lighter paws, mother to Wingpelt’s kits, Palekit (white she-kit) and Jetkit (blue-gray tabby tom)

Quailfur- brown she-cat, expecting Stormfoot’s kits

**TreeClan**

Leader:  Branchstar- ginger mottled she-cat

Deputy:  Patchclaw- black-and-white patched tom with gray eyes

Medicine Cat:  Fallpelt- young, beautiful tortoiseshell she-cat

Warriors:  Thunderheart- huge golden tom

**Apprentice, Wrenpaw (tortoiseshell she-cat)**

Doeshine- soft-furred pale brown tabby she-cat

Brookfang- black tom with gray paws and tail

**Apprentice, Opalpaw (black she-cat)**

Timberleap- brown tabby

Yellowburr- pale yellow tabby she-cat with knotted fur

**Apprentice, Smallpaw (ginger tom)**

Queens:  Nightwhisper- black she-cat with gray underbelly and muzzle, expecting Branchstar’s kits

Elders: Swallowfur- brown tabby tom

**StreamClan**

Leader:  Mothstar- black tom

Deputy:  Silentbreeze- pale gray tabby tom with yellow eyes

Medicine Cat:  Whitestep- black tom with white paws, ears, chest, and tail

**Apprentice, Hollypaw (ginger she-cat)**

Warriors:  Fishjump- silver tom

**Apprentice, Minnowpaw (blue-gray she-cat)**

Sleekcall- long-furred mottled gray-and-orange she-cat

Justicetail- long-tailed silver tabby she-cat with white paws, underbelly, tail tip, and muzzle

**Apprentice, Tallpaw (blue-gray tom)**

Petalbloom- light gray tom with short tail

**Apprentice, Lightpaw (tortoiseshell tom)**

Queens:  Chestnutclaw- reddish-brown she-cat, mother to Silentbreeze’s kit, Riverkit (reddish-brown tabby tom)

Elders:  Otterclaw- reddish-brown tom

  



	2. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> LeafClan is recovering from a crippling sickness, and things are looking up. A group of cats from Twolegplace joins. The deputy, Swiftpath, doesn’t mind them but knows that not all LeafClan cats are so accepting. It doesn’t help that the leader, Poolstar, doesn’t seem to be aware of any unrest in his Clan.  
> There is a growing threat from outside. Swiftpath and a newcomer, Maya, must work together to stay ahead of danger and unite LeafClan.

**Prologue**

_It was nighttime. The clouds were light, and the stars and moon shone brightly in the sky. It was a beautiful night-_ however, no cat in LeafClan seemed to care, especially their leader. Cinderstar had died only two moons before the sickness came, and Poolstar wished more and more that she had lived, that the badgers had chosen any other cat to focus on. But he had little time for reflection these days; he had to take care of his Clan. He had three strong warriors remaining; Longheart, Nativeflight, and Swiftpath. Thankfully, they were all responsible, confident cats, who could handle the extreme amount of work they were faced with. 

The elders had showed no signs of sickness, so the youngest, Jayheart, helped the warriors; Fatetail and Appleclaw were helping Hollowhoney and Gophershadow, the medicine cats. Jayheart was doing his best, but the warriors were still doing ten times their usual share of hunting and border patrol- though the other Clans were no threat, because they also had many sick cats. The rogues and loners had never been much of a threat, and were probably sick as well. 

Poolstar had travelled to the Moonstream four times since the sickness had come, but StarClan was silent. He had stopped a moon before, after his mate, Lightstep, and son, Molepaw, had passed away on the same night. If StarClan had taken his mate and seven-moon-old son, it was not worth trying to get their help. His daughter Grasspaw had since died, and his one remaining kit, Shiningpaw, was very weak. He had lost hope, but had to hide it from his Clan; he was the leader, after all. 

“Poolstar!” Hollowhoney’s voice startled the leader, and he choked on the sparrow he was eating. “I’m sorry, but you have to see this. It’s Ravenfang- she’s dying.”

Poolstar knew that he should feel grief at this news; Ravenfang had served her Clan well for many moons, and should have been able to retire. Her death would be one that the entire Clan felt: she was the deputy, after all. But all the black-tailed tom could do was follow the overworked medicine cat to the elder’s den, where the dying were taken. 

Three cats lay in the den; one was Snakeclaw, who was only eleven moons old, but had begged to die a warrior. His death would mean that LeafClan had no apprentices. The second cat was Larktail, a warrior who had been an apprentice with Poolstar. They had never been close, but they had never fought and respected each other. Then there was Ravenfang. The deputy’s formerly sleek, thick black fur had thinned considerably, and she had lost her heavy build. She was still conscious, however, and blinked at her leader in greeting, cordial as always.

“Poolstar.” Ravenfang’s formerly deep, sonorous voice was reduced to a rasp, but she still sounded sure of herself. “I am sorry about this.”

“Why are you sorry?” Poolstar asked, genuinely shocked. “For getting sick? You’re not the only one to be ill, you know.”

“Because now, you need to give some other cat my responsibility. And no healthy cat needs more right now.”

“Nativeflight is acting as the mock deputy now, he would be great as deputy!” Poolstar desperately needed advice from his deputy, and she was fading fast. Ravenfang had dedicated her life to LeafClan, and would be able to pick the next deputy with more wisdom than he would. 

“Nativeflight? Maybe. But I think Swiftpath would be better.” Ravenfang’s gray-green eyes were still bright and intelligent. “I know that she’s quiet and judgmental, but she follows your orders, is quite smart, and is confident. And she would be a good check on your geniality.”

Of all the cats he had expected Ravenfang to endorse, Swiftpath was not the one. She had been a warrior for much longer than the leader had been alive and Poolstar would forever be grateful for her help now, but there was something about how quiet she was that threw the tom off. But he decided that Ravenfang would like it if he appointed her, and that he could easily choose another cat after the sickness passed- if it ever passed. So he nodded, and stayed with his deputy until she died. 

The next morning, after Ravenfang and Larktail had been buried, Poolstar called the first Clan meeting in two moons. He took in who had come; Hollowhoney and Gophershadow, the medicine cats, the three healthy warriors, the elders, and a sick warrior named Birdhowl who was able to walk. “We need a new deputy,” the leader began. “Ravenfang was a wonderful deputy who served LeafClan well, and she will be missed. Nativeflight, you have done a wonderful job over the past moons. You are relieved.” The tom looked relieved, and Poolstar knew that he wouldn’t be bitter. “Swiftpath, you are the new deputy. May you serve your Clan well.” All the cats looked shocked, especially Swiftpath. After a minute, she snapped out of it and dipped her head.

“I... I would be honored, Poolstar. Thank you.” Normally, there would be cheers, but no cat had the energy, which was just fine with LeafClan’s new deputy. 

The next morning, Poolstar was woken by Hollowhoney’s insistent paw. “I had a dream,” she gasped. “It was StarClan- they said that the Dark Forest had started the sickness, that they managed to defeat them. It’s going to get better!” The medicine cat’s eyes were shining for the first time in moons. “But... they also said that there was another obstacle the Dark Forest was sending us- something hiding in plain sight, that could tear the Clans apart. They said to be careful who you trust. I know you don’t believe, but heed their advice, please.”

And the sickness did get better. Not all of the sick warriors died, and two litters of kits were born healthy and strong. Life would go on- but Hollowhoney’s warning, which only Poolstar knew about after the medicine cat became the last victim of the sickness in LeafClan- weighed heavily on the leader’s mind. 


	3. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An introduction to Maya.

**Chapter 1**

_ Maya _

_ The spring sun’s rays pierced the top of the buildings, illuminating their roofs and waking Maya.  _ She mewed a bit in protest, but was up soon enough, leaping down from her perch on a tree branch. She had gotten lucky the night before- her favorite tree, one of the only ones in Twolegplace, had been taken up by three young cats, who Maya chased away with a few snarls and scratches. She had spent a comfortable night for once, and woke up feeling refreshed and ready to seize the day. She headed for the edge of the buildings, leaping up on the fence that separated Twolegplace and the woods. 

There were four Clans of wild cats living in the woods, and they all seemed to have their own rules and keep to themselves. There was one cat that Maya had seen a lot of over the past few moons, and that was a young gray tom, Budpaw, who was clearly curious about what went on over the fence. The first time he had come, he had been maybe four moons old and his furious mother had come to get him. The second, he had called himself an “apprentice” and a Clanmate had come to take him back to “camp” because it was night. Maya found him quite charming and amusing, and enjoyed the information he readily gave her about the Clans. 

Maya had lived on the streets since she was five moons old, when her mother had abandoned her and her littermates after the twolegs that they were living with had left. She had traveled with her brothers Vine and Branch until the sickly Branch died when they were fourteen moons old. He was the third littermate to die, after Twig at one moon old and Sophie at eight moons old. Vine had joined a group of rogues, and the siblings met up every once in a while. Maya had been wandering Twolegplace as a loner for many moons, and had felt the pull of the forest, of the Clans, the whole time. Once, she had tried to enter the forest, but had been chased out and told never to come back. 

Maya’s thoughts were interrupted by two different sounds, one behind and one from the side. She saw the bushes on the forest side rustle and four Clan cats come out, one of them being Budpaw, and sensed two cats leap up beside her on the fence. Fluffy and Sherry, a loner and a kittypet respectively, nodded at Maya, and she nodded back. The Clan cats were staring up at the three cats on the fence. After a minute of somewhat tense silence, a small Clan she-cat stepped forward.

“Hello,” the she-cat said. “I’m Swiftpath. My apprentice insisted that I come and meet the ‘great cat’ that he’s been talking to.”

Budpaw nodded eagerly, unique orange eyes shining, and Maya’s tail flicked in amusement. While Swiftpath seemed more tired than anything, the other two Clan cats, a young heavyset tom and an older ginger tom, looked irritated and confused. “That would be me,” she said. “I’m Maya, and your apprentice is quite charming. These two are Fluffy and Sherry.”

Sherry was about Budpaw’s age and was very unsure of herself, while Fluffy looked calm, as usual. The other Clan cats introduced themselves: Spiderpaw as Budpaw’s brother, and Fireshade as his mentor. Budpaw was bouncing up and down, seemingly oblivious to the tension of the scene, and after a second he let out the excited words that he had been holding in. 

“I was thinking that we could tell Poolstar, and that he could let Maya and whoever else join LeafClan!” Budpaw burst out. Swiftpath whirled around, fur rising in surprise, and Fireshade hissed. 

“Budpaw! Have you gone crazy?” Spiderpaw snarled. “Let kittypets join LeafClan?”

“I’m not a kittypet,” Fluffy and Maya said at the same time. “They’re loners, I’m the kittypet,” Sherry piped up.

“Okay, you need to slow down,” Swiftpath warned the still-eager Budpaw. She turned to the cats on the fence. “We call our healers medicine cats, and ours just had a dream from StarClan- our ancestors- of a group of outsiders joining us and making our Clan stronger. But that was last night, and my apprentice can get very eager sometimes.  _ Too  _ eager.”

“Oh...” Maya didn’t know what to say, and apparently neither did any other cat. There was a long moment of awkward silence, broken by Fluffy. 

“Would Poolstar be willing to let us join your Clan?”

Fireshade was about to answer, fury in his eyes, when the bushes rustled once again. A large blue-gray shape stalked out of the bushes, making Sherry jump and almost fall off the fence. It was a tom, well-muscled, with an aura of confidence and power around him. From the Clan cats’ reactions, she would guess that this was their leader. 

“I’ll answer that,” he said. “I’m Poolstar, and I would allow you to join.” Swiftpath let out a tiny sigh, and Budpaw squeaked in excitement. Fireshade looked like he would like to disagree, but kept silent. Spiderpaw was glaring at his brother with irritation and venom. 

“Is that an offer?” Fluffy asked. “Because in that case, count me in.”

“Great!” Poolstar said. “Any other takers?”

“I want to join,” Maya said hesitantly. “This just seems very sudden. Can I take a day to say goodbye?”

“Of course,” Poolstar assured. “Be here at sunhigh tomorrow and you can come with us to our camp, any of you. And if you want to get more of your friends, they are welcome. I hope to see you. A patrol will meet you.”

“Yay! I knew it!” Budpaw squealed. “I’m so excited!” He was stopped from saying more by his mentor’s tail in his mouth. The she-cat looked up at Maya, Fluffy, and Sherry with resignation in her eyes. 

“I’ll be here tomorrow,” Swiftpath said. “Now, since we’re close to it, we should go to the training hollow. It was nice to meet you, Maya, Fluffy, Sherry.” She flicked her tail, and her patrol followed her into the woods. Poolstar dipped his head and disappeared back into the bush that he had come from. 

“Did that really happen?” Sherry asked.

“I guess,” Maya replied. “Are you going to join?”

“Yeah, I think so,” Sherry said. “I don’t like my owners. I think I can get Gracie and Xavier to join- they’re afraid that their kits are going to get taken again. And Crunch might join.”

“I’ll join,” Fluffy said readily. “I’ve always wanted to live in the woods. You have, too, Maya.”

Maya didn’t reply and leapt off the fence, heading for the center of Twolegplace. She knew where to start and end her goodbyes- with her brother. Vine had joined a group of rogues led by Shell, a beautiful she-cat who was the queen of the Twolegplace rogues. Her group mostly left kittypets and loners alone, and Maya was never discouraged from visiting her brother. 

Today, a young she-cat named Jet was guarding the entrance of the abandoned building that served as the rogues’ base. There were two other guards out of sight on the sides of the building. “I need to talk to Vine,” Maya announced. “It won’t take long.”

“He is hunting near the rats’ nest,” Jet said. “He left a short time ago.” The yellow tabby nodded and slipped away, letting her stride open up. Rats were dangerous, but they were good food if you could catch one. It wasn’t far to their nest, and Maya caught up to Vine in less than an hour. 

“Maya!” Vine said when he spotted his sister. “What are you doing, following me? It’s not our monthly meet-up.”

“No, it isn’t,” Maya said. “I just got the chance to join a Clan, and I want to do it.”

Vine blinked in surprise. “Okay, when did this happen?”

“Just this morning. Their leader invited me and a few others. You probably could if you wanted to.”

“You know that I’m happy here, but I think that you should join. As long as we can still see each other.”

“Of course! I’m excited. It is very sudden- and I don’t think it’s going to be easy. But since when has life been easy?”

“Very wise, sister. I will miss having you in Twolegplace.”

The siblings said a casual goodbye, not knowing how long it would be before they saw each other again- and how different everything would be. 


	4. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Clan hears about the newcomers’ imminent arrival.

**Chapter 2**

_Swiftpath_

The training session went poorly. The events of that morning had been sudden and unprecedented- not since long-ago ThunderClan had any kittypet been allowed to join a Clan, and very few rogues or loners- Swiftpath being one of them, though her case was different. She had been found as a newborn kit by her dead mother and siblings and taken in by Nativeflight’s mother as a LeafClan cat. Only the ornery Appleclaw (and sometimes Fireshade) reminded her of that when she was annoyed with the deputy.

“This is a terrible idea,” Fireshade hissed, and Spiderpaw nodded in agreement. They had given up on practicing fighting and were ‘hunting’ on their way back to camp- but the only prey that had been caught was a crippled mouse that had literally fallen over Spiderpaw’s feet.

“This is too sudden,” Swiftpath agreed. “Gophershadow’s announcement was shocking enough, and now this? It’s too soon. It’s one thing to allow, say, a helpless newborn rogue into the Clan, but a group of Twolegplace cats? It’s not going to go over well. It hasn’t gone over well.” 

“But it’s so exciting!” Budpaw protested. “Just because cats come from different backgrounds doesn’t mean they can’t be Clan cats!”

“Surprisingly wise,” Fireshade snapped, “for a kit who doesn’t know anything.”

Swiftpath sent a warning glare at the simmering warrior, who took the hint and shut up. Budpaw was very sensitive and would mope for days if his feelings were hurt, and whichever cat had hurt him would face the wrath of Stonefeather. Fireshade might have a temper, but was wise enough to know when to stop and shut his mouth, and his concerns were valid. 

Poolstar had told the Clan by the time the patrol got back, with no more prey to show for it. LeafClan’s camp was ThunderClan’s old camp, by a now-crumbling cliff, with the dens along a wide rock ledge. A fallen boulder served as Poolstar’s announcement spot, and a smaller rock had been dragged beside it generations ago for the deputy to stand on. As she leapt up onto the rock, Swiftpath noted that for generations, the leader had waited until _after_ the deputy arrived to start a Clan meeting, especially one this important. Anyway, she thought bitterly, she needed to pay attention. 

The overall mood of the Clan was shock, quickly turning into indignation. Only a few looked happy about it- three of them being Archfeather’s three-moon-old kits, who constantly pretended they were kittypets. A voice rose in protest over all the others: Birdhowl, a respected warrior and Archfeather’s mate. 

“And how do you know that we can trust these outsiders?”

“They will have to earn our trust,” Poolstar replied. “This is an opportunity to strengthen our Clan and become more open-minded. When they come tomorrow, they will be welcomed enthusiastically and no cat will be hostile. Do you understand?”

The Clan nodded reluctantly. 

“Great! Swiftpath will lead two cats of her choice to greet them at sunhigh tomorrow.” Poolstar disappeared into his den, abruptly ending the meeting. Murmurs rippled throughout the clearing, and the Clan bunched into groups. Swiftpath jumped down from the rock and was met by her mate, thirty moons younger than her.

Skyclaw was Fireshade’s sister and had been with the deputy for forty moons. They had just recently decided to have kits, and as Swiftpath was too old and Skyclaw didn’t want to get pregnant, their friend Gorsepelt had generously offered to be their surrogate and was two moons expecting. She would give birth in about a moon, and was starting to really get big, which was a sign of a large litter. Right now, her eyes were bright and worried as she padded beside Skyclaw. Her father Nativeflight joined them. 

“How long ago did this happen?” Gorsepelt asked. 

“Budpaw dragged my patrol out to Twolegplace this morning, we met the loner he’s been meeting- plus two others, and then Poolstar popped up out of nowhere and invited them to join the Clan! And all their friends!” Swiftpath rolled her eyes. “The only cat not surprised was Poolstar.” 

“I think that this was too quick,” Nativeflight said. He was one of the oldest warriors in the Clan, and still very fit and well-respected. Swiftpath had been shocked when he hadn’t been picked for deputy after Ravenfang had died, as well as most of the Clan. Poolstar had clearly doubted the she-cat’s abilities at first, but now the two had a relationship of mutual respect, if not friendship.

Nativeflight had been the first cat to accept Skyclaw and Swiftpath, and he had always been gracious and open. Skyclaw’s mother and three of five of her siblings (two of them apprentices) had died in the sickness.

“That’s true,” Skyclaw agreed with her father. “I’ll be civil and all, but a lot of cats won’t. I think that we have to wait, though, all of this is just speculation.”

“I have to check up with Gophershadow. Can one of you come with me?” Gorsepelt asked. Swiftpath volunteered immediately while Skyclaw and Nativeflight went on a father-daughter hunting patrol.

“You’re going to have a lot of kits,” Gophershadow said as he gently pawed the queen’s stomach. “You’ll have them in about a moon. You should be cutting down on your exercise and staying out of the sun. Otherwise, you’re fine. There doesn’t seem to be any issues. And hopefully, some of these mystery new cats will have kits, so your babies can grow up with plenty of friends.”

Just as the deputy was leaving, the medicine cat called her back. “I noticed you coughing last night, and I was just wondering how you’re feeling today.”

Swiftpath had been getting sick often in the last few seasons, and had gotten whitecough three moons before. She chalked it up to age; she was a senior warrior, not that much younger than Nativeflight. “I feel fine today,” she said. “I’ll tell you if my condition changes.”

“Thanks, Gophershadow,” Gorsepelt called as the two she-cats headed for the nursery. Archfeather was nowhere to be seen, probably hunting somewhere, and her kits had the run of the nursery, where they had forced Budpaw and his sister Icepaw into playing Clan with them. The apprentices were having fun, but the kits were getting a little rough with the blind Icepaw. She was being trained to sense several attackers, but she hadn’t mastered the technique yet and was struggling to stay on her feet under the onslaught of kits. 

“Guys-“ Icepaw managed as she stumbled, “stop. Slow down a little, okay?”

Spritekit shrugged and leapt off the apprentice’s back to jump on Budpaw, followed by Hailkit, but Treekit ignored the plea. However, Icepaw was ready for him this time, and lightly pinned the little kit against the ground. “I have defeated you!”

“Hey,” Gorsepelt called. The kits froze, expecting to be reprimanded. “You have a new enemy! The biggest and baddest of them all!” Swiftpath, after a second of realization, bounded forward, lumbering towards the kits like a badger. They squealed and jumped on her. 

The youngest members of LeafClan may have been carefree, but there was a definite tension in the air that night. Cats ate their meals huddled in groups, talking in low voices. Every cat was apprehensive about the next day. 


	5. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The newcomers meet LeafClan.

**Chapter 3**

_Maya_

Maya arrived at the fence a little before sunhigh, and found that quite a few cats were already there. Fluffy greeted her with a nod: Xavier and Gracie were doing their best to keep their litter in check: it looked like Sherry had convinced her brother Crunch to join. The bushes rustled and a Clan patrol appeared right on time. Maya recognized the second-in-command, Swift-something, along with their leader, Poolstar. Budpaw was there, as excited as the day before. Two more loners, Leaf and Ferret, joined the group of Twolegplace cats on the fence. 

There was another cat in the Clan patrol, a beautiful young she-cat who looked a little nervous but not outwardly aggressive. One of Xavier and Gracie’s four-moon-old kits, Killian, jumped down and ran up to the Clan cats curiously. Gracie followed, trying to grab at him. “So sorry,” she said, “he’s deaf, so it’s hard to communicate manners.”

“No problem,” Poolstar said. “We have a deaf warrior, so if you need help with him, we know what to do. My name is Poolstar, and I’m the leader of LeafClan. Swiftpath is my deputy, Budpaw is her apprentice, and Dapplewhisper is a young warrior. Hello, kit.”

“I’m Gracie, my son is Killian, and my mate is Xavier,” Gracie said. She looked at the others for permission, then kept speaking. “Down the fence, it’s Fluffy, Sherry, Crunch, Maya, Ferret, and Leaf. A few are loners, the rest are kittypets.” 

Swiftpath said, “You can come down from the fence now, we’ll head for camp soon. But first, if you’re all really serious about joining, you need to know a little about what being a LeafClan cat means. We have a specific code and rules.”

“I’ll do it,” both Poolstar and Budpaw said. The leader chuckled and allowed the apprentice to go on. The Twolegplace cats slowly came down from the fence, looking at each other unsurely, Xavier and Gracie keeping a very tight leash on their kits. “So we have these ancestors called StarClan, and they tell the medicine cat things like prophecies-“

“Hold on. You mean that you really believe that dead cats watch over you?” Leaf asked incredulously. 

“We do. It might be hard to believe at first, but we’ve seen them,” Dapplewhisper said, speaking for the first time. Maya snorted to herself, but decided that beliefs are beliefs and should be respected. The talk went on: the loner didn’t catch most of it, but she got the main ideas and figured that if she just listened, she could figure it out. She wasn’t allowed to cross borders, suffixes of names changed with age and rank, and a lot of other things. She noticed that a lot of the other Twolegplace cats looked confused, and Leaf was still murmuring to herself about StarClan. 

The walk to their camp was nice- the forest was as lush and beautiful as Maya had imagined. The group was running pretty slowly, for the sake of the kits, who were hanging from mouths, having the time of their lives. Gracie was at the back of the group, panting hard yet keeping a steady pace, but Sherry and Crunch were falling behind. They were both very young, and Maya could tell that they hadn’t thought that the trip to the camp would be so hard. They both were heavy, not like Xavier’s muscle or Gracie’s kitweight, and it was clearly holding them back. 

Swiftpath dropped off from the front of the group to run beside the siblings. “Are you okay?”

“Fine, just out of shape,” Sherry gasped. “We’ll be fine, don’t worry.”

Swiftpath looked doubtful, but she nodded and went back to the front of the group, and had a whispered conversation with Leafstar. Leaf and Ferret had obviously heard and glanced back at the young kittypets, a mixture of pity and amusement in their eyes. 

The forest was made up of tall, leafy trees and thick underbrush. Eventually, a little before dusk, the group reached a clearing surrounded by thick brambles, only some of them actual bushes. An orange she-cat sat by an opening, and she was on alert when the group arrived. Maya didn’t know a whole lot about walking quietly, but she knew that the kittypets were _not_. Plenty of animals had gone running, alerted of the cats’ presence, foxlengths ahead of them.

“Poolstar,” the she-cat said respectfully. “These are the kittypets? Outsiders, I mean?”

“Yes, Kitesnarl,” Poolstar replied. “Stay on guard until you’re relieved. Good work paying attention.” He gestured the suddenly shy Twolegplace cats into the camp. Kitesnarl watched them pass with a curious glance, her eyes sharpening when she saw how exhausted Sherry and Crunch were. 

The camp was vast and filled with cats. A mossy clearing led to a decrepit cliff, with varied tree trunks and structures that must have been dens. What looked like the entire Clan was staring at the newcomers, not a few of them in an unfriendly manner. Their ages ranged from three young kittens to ancient elders, but the average age seemed to be relatively young. They were all different colors, but most fit into their forested surroundings and only a few were abnormally large or small. Compared to the average size, Swiftpath was small, and Poolstar was large. LeafClan’s gazes were critical, piercing, and Maya had to dredge up her courage to keep her face blank. 

“LeafClan, gather!” Poolstar called, bounding across to a rock in the middle of the camp, the muscles in his back rippling as he ran. He was quite an attractive tom, Maya noted, but had already nixed him as possible mate material because of his position. 

The Clan slowly gathered around Poolstar’s rock. Swiftpath sat on a smaller rock to the side of the leader’s. “Our new Clan members have arrived! We will do their naming ceremony now. Gracie, please step forward. You can bring your kits.”

Gracie did, looking unsure as the Clan focused in on her and her children, who were looking around excitedly. She called them to her side, and they obeyed immediately, sitting down neatly in a line. They were very well-trained. 

“Gracie, you are now named... Sunpatch. Your kits will be-“

Swiftpath cut him off. “With all due respect, Poolstar, maybe we should wait until they settle in and fully understand what the naming system is until we do this. After all, warriors have to earn their names, and they should be able to choose their first names.”

A dark tom in the crowd nodded in agreement, and Poolstar sighed. Gracie let out a quiet gasp of relief. “Very well. But Leaf and Ferret, your names will have to be changed. Ferretleap is a warrior and you cannot have the same prefix as our Clan.”

Neither cat looked happy, but they nodded and stepped forward. Gracie and the kits returned to the relative safety of the outsiders’ group. 

“Leaf,” Poolstar continued, “your name will be Wolfwind. Nativeflight will be your mentor- teach you the ways of the Clan. Ferret, your name will be... Shadeclaw. Nativeflight will also be your mentor.” There was an uncomfortable silence- Maya got the feeling that cats were supposed to cheer. After a minute, the dark tom from before stepped forward and motioned for the newly named Wolfwind and Shadeclaw to join him. They did so, looking nervous but calm. They had been mates for moons and moons, and were both similar in wise demeanor. 

Maya let her breath out and then stepped forward. “I would like you to change my name,” she said. “I have a request for my prefix.”

Poolstar blinked, Swiftpath flicked her tail, and the Clan broke out into murmurs. Maya knew what she wanted to change her name to: the name of the cat who had been her first love, whose death had torn her apart. She hadn’t been alone her entire life. “I would like to be named...” Gertrude had been her name, but that wouldn’t do. She had preferred to be called... “Flame.”

“Okay,” the leader said, impressed. “Maya, your new name will be Flame... would you like to have the suffix -paw, as you will be an apprentice, or a warrior name?”

“I would like to earn my warrior name. Flamepaw will do,” Maya- Flamepaw- said. She could tell that she had done the right thing- the Clan seemed less critical of her. 

“Flamepaw, then. Dapplewhisper will be your mentor.” The young cat was shocked, and Flamepaw was happy to see a pleased look come into her eyes. They touched noses.

“I’ll try hard,” Dapplewhisper promised. 


	6. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Swiftpath and Skyclaw show the newcomers around the camp.

**Chapter 4**

_Swiftpath_

The meeting broke up, and the Twolegplace cats were left huddled in a group, except for the three newly named loners. Swiftpath thought that Maya’s- Flamepaw’s- decision was admirable, and it had certainly won her friends among the Clan, who were far from relaxed but seemed amiable enough to Wolfwind and Shadeclaw. The deputy leaped down, landing a little clumsily beside Nativeflight, who was talking with his new apprentices. They were both older and gave off auras of seniority, hence the warrior names. 

“Are you okay?” Wolfwind asked. Swiftpath waved it off.

“I’m just getting old. Congratulations on your names. Nativeflight here is a great mentor.” The tom ducked his head at the compliment.

“Was he your mentor?” Shadeclaw asked curiously.

“No, but he’s the father of my mate Skyclaw, and we’ve known each other for moons,” Swiftpath said. “We helped each other through young warrior jitters, and other trials.”

“We all have them,” Nativeflight said. “As I was saying, the borders...” he quickly absorbed the other two into a conversation, and Swiftpath wandered away to try to find Skyclaw. Her mate was sitting by the edge of the camp, sunning herself in the dying light. 

“Hey,” Skyclaw said. “So, that was interesting. What did you think of Flamepaw? That was a good move on her part.”

“Yeah, they respect that she didn’t just take a name without earning it,” Swiftpath agreed. “She’s not old enough that it would look ridiculous to have an apprentice name, like the other two. I think their renaming is okay, because they couldn’t be here with the names they had. Anyway, this was a decent first day. I don’t really want to talk about it. Why don’t we go hunt? There is so little prey on the pile right now. I told three patrols to go hunting, but I think only one did, and they caught next to nothing.”

The she-cats got back so late that it was an effort for the deputy to drag herself out of the nest in the morning to call patrols. She leapt up on her rock and had set two border patrols out when Nativeflight interrupted.

“Swiftpath, is it fine if I take Wolfwind and Shadeclaw out on a border patrol? I’d have it be their introduction to our territory.”

“Okay, that’s fine. Fireshade, can your patrol be a hunting patrol? We’ll need more food than usual, remember. Birdhowl, how about you, Longheart, Stonefeather, and Icepaw hunt as well?” Fireshade grumbled, but he liked hunting better than patrolling anyway and had no real argument against it. He was one of the more obviously anti-outsider cats, even going as far as calling Swiftpath a rogue once. 

Flamepaw sat sunning herself, taking in early morning camp life until Dapplewhisper called her to join Nativeflight’s patrol. The rest of the Twolegplace cats (minus the kits and Gracie, who had been welcomed in the nursery) were huddled together, looking unsure. Swiftpath approached them, waving for Budpaw and Skyclaw to join her. “Good morning,” she greeted, getting a lot of indecipherable mumbles in reply. “We’re going to show you around camp and a little bit of the territory today. You all probably slept in the den by the warrior’s den- a sickness came a few moons ago, and the sick cats needed a separate place to sleep.”

“We got the basic camp overview,” the gray-and-white loner- Fluffy, Swiftpath remembered- said. “I remember hearing that LeafClan was sick. How bad was it?”

Memories immediately flooded the deputy’s mind- seeing her apprentice Snakeclaw die terribly, and so many others. Almost losing Skyclaw. The long days of work, of watching helplessly as her Clan died. She realized that the silence had gotten awkward, and spoke. “Quite a few cats died, but we’ve rebounded. This is my mate Skyclaw, and you all know my apprentice. Would you like to go meet the queens and elders? We should start at the nursery.”

Sherry began to ask a question about the sickness, but Xavier stopped her with a light jab in the ribs. Instead, she said, “oh, cool! How long have you two been together?”

Skyclaw managed to say “about forty moons” before Budpaw interrupted. 

“A long time! And they’re great together. I’m so happy that you all came...”

Swiftpath cut his flow of words off when they reached the nursery, where the number of kits playing had exploded. Three kits went right under Skyclaw’s feet, sending her to the ground hard. She groaned and her mate leapt to her side.

The sickness had left the once-strong ginger warrior’s bones weak, and she had just gotten over a broken shoulder from a light skirmish with SpireClan. She shook off her mate’s worry and got to her feet, chuckling under their shocked gazes. “I’m just clumsy, it’s fine. The kits need to be more careful.”

“...Okay,” Xavier said after a moment, “can we get a name check on the queens and kits? This is my mate Gracie, and we have five kits. Wild is is the smallest one- she’s the runt, but she makes up for it in energy. Killian is the deaf white one, too curious for his own good, and Noel is the stocky gray one. He’s super protective of Killian. Hazel and Heather- orange tabby and tortoiseshell- might as well be identical, because they’re always together and act the same. They’re all wonderful.”

“Yeah we are!” Noel called from where he was wrestling with Spritekit. His mother was scolding Hazel, Heather, and Treekit, who had tripped Skyclaw. Every cat snorted, including the very tense Swiftpath. Gorsepelt walked out of the nursery, hearing the commotion. She waved her tail in greeting.

“I’m Gorsepelt. I’m expecting these two’s kits.”

Sherry wrinkled her nose in confusion. “What-how?” Fluffy asked.

“Neither of us can get pregnant, so Gorsepelt generously offered to carry them for us,” Skyclaw explained. “Now, these three are the oldest kits, less than a moon away from becoming apprentices. Hailkit is black like her mother Archfeather, Spritekit is patched like a badger, and Treekit is the colorful tom. Their father is Birdhowl, a senior warrior. If that’s all for the nursery, should we move on to the apprentice’s den?”

Swiftpath blinked and then took command. “Yes, you’re right. Nice to meet you, Gracie. We’ll certainly be spending time around here, and I look forward to getting to know you better.” Gracie dipped her head in response and the deputy continued the tour of the camp, Budpaw explaining about apprentices and their duties. They approached the elders’ den, where all three old cats were relaxing outside. They looked up, unsure of the newcomers. 

Jayheart and Appleclaw were staring with hostile eyes, but Fatetail purred, standing up with difficulty and walking over. She was the oldest cat in the Clan, and had been a warrior for seventy moons despite the fact that she had been born without a tail, throwing her balance and requiring five extra moons of training to learn how to handle. She was Longheart’s grandmother and only kin after the sickness. “I’m Fatetail,” she greeted. The older newcomers could sense that this was a cat to be respected and bowed their heads, but Crunch and Sherry weren’t so wise. They were very openly staring at the stump that was the elder’s tail. 

Fluffy noticed and gave them a warning snarl. “It’s nice to meet you,” he said. “I’m Fluffy, that’s Xavier. The young ones that need to work on respect are Sherry and Crunch.”

Sherry forced her mouth closed and dipped her head. “My apologies, Fatetail. I- we- have never met any cat with such a disability.”

This was the wrong thing to say. Jayheart snarled and stalked up to the young she-cat, showing his teeth. Swiftpath looked like she was about to kill the kittypets, and Budpaw let out a squeak of shock. 

“All right, how about I take these two on a tour of the territory?” Skyclaw said, trying to rectify the situation. “Right now! Come on!” The kittypets realized that leaving was the better option and left quickly. The tension lessened. 

Fatetail’s eyes were dark with hurt. She had spent her whole life fighting for respect as just a cat, and she hated that even after moons and moons of service to her Clan, cats still assumed that she couldn’t pull her own weight. 

“They’ve met a cat missing a tail,” Xavier said dryly. “He’s a kittypet, but lives outside and hunts every day. They respect him, don’t even notice he’s missing a tail.”

“It’s fine,” Fatetail said quietly. Appleclaw sat beside her and licked her ear gently. The she-cats had both had male mates and kits, but had outlived their partners and realized their feelings for each other when they had retired. They were wonderful together. 

“We should move on. This won’t happen again,” Swiftpath promised the elders. “We should probably tour the territory as well. I will check in later.” They moved on, leaving two furious and one embarrassed elder behind. “Okay, lesson one: don’t disrespect the elders. Especially Fatetail.”

“I will talk to them,” Xander promised. “They’re young and foolish and haven’t learned basic manners, apparently.”

“Let’s move on for now,” the deputy sighed. “You’ve only seen some of the territory, so let’s go.”


	7. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time passes.

**Chapter 5**

_Flamepaw_

The confusion of the past day hadn’t allowed Flamepaw the opportunity to really take in the young cat that was currently leading her around the territory. While Flamepaw had the whipcord frame of an alley cat, Dapplewhisper was pure muscle. The first impression she gave was of quiet beauty: her coat was beautifully dappled and her limbs were perfectly proportioned to her body. If Flamepaw wasn’t at least twenty moons older, she would want Dapplewhisper to be her mate. 

The territory was beautiful. Tall, sweeping oak forests became shorter, darker pines that eventually led to a swamp. That had originally been rogue territory, but when all the rogues were sick, a few warriors had claimed the bit of swamp and the rogues had shown no interest in it since then.

“Do you remember the sickness?” Flamepaw asked Dapplewhisper on their way back to camp. The young she-cat nodded, looking uncomfortable. 

“Yeah, I became an apprentice the moon after it ended. Three of my siblings died, luckily not my parents. That’s mostly what I remember. Vinesplash and I weren’t allowed to go near them, because it was so contagious. Only us two, the elders, somehow Gophershadow, and three warriors were spared sickness. Poolstar lost a life a quarter moon after becoming leader. Us kits had so much freedom, because no sick cat could take care of us and the older cats were constantly busy.”

Flamepaw didn’t know how to reply, and she finally asked, “which warriors weren’t sick?”

“The oldest- Swiftpath, Nativeflight, and Longheart, who you probably haven’t met yet. She’s deaf, but can communicate fine if you know signing, which is pretty easy. If the Clan ever gets too hostile, she’s a good cat to talk to. She doesn’t judge cats, really. That’s another thing. I’m perfectly willing to talk to you honestly, but a lot of cats won’t trust you or be comfortable with you. And _don’t_ talk about the sickness with cats like that. It won’t go over well. Also, Swiftpath will be friendly, but the sickness is particularly sensitive for her and she will get snappy if you’re pushy.” 

“Okay, I’ll be careful,” Flamepaw said. “This territory is beautiful.”

“Yeah, it really is.” The conversation tapered off into an awkward silence. Then, Flamepaw asked for a clarification on the rules and Dapplewhisper enthusiastically explained. 

There was a decidedly awkward atmosphere at camp. Sherry and Crunch were off in the corner, looking embarrassed as Xavier talked to them sternly. They were getting quite a few glares from the Clan cats, as well as the other outsiders. “What happened?” Dapplewhisper asked a young cat, presumably her sibling Vinesplash.

“Those two disrespected Fatetail,” Vinesplash replied, glancing at Flamepaw. 

“She’s missing a tail,” Dapplewhisper explained. “Great warrior, and every cat’s very protective of her.”

“Hm. I’ll be respectful,” Flamepaw said. “Those two are young and spoiled. They’ve lived sheltered lives with _Twolegs_.”

“You seem fine,” Vinesplash said. “I’m glad. So, you’ve been living as a loner? How’s Twolegplace?”

“It’s dirty, but the sickness hit the Twolegs too and most left, so more plants have started to grow. More prey’s been coming in from the forest. There’s been less competition and cats are getting along better now. It was never horrible, just challenging to live with.” Flamepaw looked around the camp. “I much prefer this, though.”

“I know I do,” Vinesplash said. Flamepaw didn’t say it, but she thought that he might want to try living in Twolegplace before dismissing it. But she wanted to fit in, and criticizing a friendly cat didn’t seem like a very good idea. 

Flamepaw’s first moon in LeafClan was a blur of new experiences and tensions. She met most of the Clan, and most cats were chilly at best, at worst aggressive (Fireshade). Longheart was friendly, as Dapplewhisper had said, but there was a communication barrier that would have to be worked through before they could truly bond. Skyclaw, Nativeflight, and Dapplewhisper were allies and went out of their way to make the outsiders comfortable.

A new experience had been watching proper apprentice ceremonies. Sherry and Crunch had been renamed Fawnpaw and Chatterpaw and been apprenticed to Skyclaw and Stonefeather respectively. Fluffy was now Patchpaw, his mentor being Poolstar himself. The young cats were simply trying to get in shape while Patchpaw was excelling and adapting well. He and Flamepaw had moved to a small den built during the sickness to make room for Archfeather and Birdhowl’s kits. Hailpaw had become the medicine cat’s apprentice and her brothers Spritepaw and Treepaw’s mentors were Vinesplash and Kitesnarl. There were suddenly as many apprentices as warriors. 

To Flamepaw, the most intriguing LeafClan cat was Swiftpath, the deputy. She was almost an elder, but didn’t let that slow her down and did her duties admirably well. Flamepaw got a chance to talk to the deputy a few nights before the first Gathering, while they were both on guard duty. Technically, guards weren’t supposed to talk to each other, but only very young warriors really followed that rule. It was a warm, cloudy night, with a pleasant breeze making the newborn leaves rustle overhead. For a good while, both guards sat silently, doing their job but also thoroughly enjoying the scenery. 

“It’s rarely this quiet,” Swiftpath said eventually. She would raise her voice to get attention, but her speaking voice was low. She enunciated every syllable clearly, however, so she could be understood if you were listening. “Usually, the Clan is just jabbering away. Kits are usually the worst. I’m going to savor it now, because once my kits are born, I’ll never be left alone.”

“When is Gorsepelt due?” Flamepaw asked. The queen couldn’t walk at that point, she was so large. 

“Gophershadow said today or tomorrow, so tomorrow,” Swiftpath replied. “I can’t sleep. I insisted I guard tonight. Meanwhile, Skyclaw’s all comfortable in her nest.”

“It’s exciting,” Flamepaw said. “I moved around too much in Twolegplace to ever consider kits, but I could see myself eventually having a few here. Once I’m settled in, of course.”

“Do you miss Twolegplace?” Swiftpath asked. When Flamepaw’s gaze sharpened, she rushed, “I don’t mean anything by it. I was just trying to make conversation.”

“I believe you. Well, not really, but my brother’s there, and I miss him. He’s a rogue, and we meet up every moon or so to catch up. We’re supposed to meet tonight, but I decided that I should settle into the Clan before doing anything out of line. I don’t even know if our meetings can continue.” 

Swiftpath nodded to herself. “Well, I think that not going tonight is smart. If you go off and meet with a rogue- even your brother- so early, the Clan will get suspicious. If and when you do begin to meet with him, know that you absolutely cannot tell him any information on the Clan. Saying your overall impressions is fine, but you may not give specific information to any non-LeafClan cat.”

Flamepaw dipped her head. “Understood. So, ah... how long have you and Skyclaw been together?” 

“Forty moons.” The deputy’s blue eyes seemed to brighten with happiness at the mention of her mate. “It was unprecedented, two openly mated she-cats. Her brother Fireshade, predictably, aggressively opposed our match, but Nativeflight and his mate Juniperheart were wonderful. That was what really mattered to us. One issue that they had, however, and talked about with us, is my age; I’m only five moons younger than Nativeflight. I was training with my mentor Mothclaw when Juniperheart was a kit, and Skyclaw was still a young warrior when we became mates. But it’s worked out.”

“And... I assume that Juniperheart died in the sickness?” Flamepaw asked, and tried to backpedal at Swiftpath’s flinch. “I’m sorry, I really don’t mean to pry.”

Swiftpath sighed. “It’s all right. It’s best you hear about this from me and not through rumors. Yes, Juniperheart and four of her kits were victims of the sickness. Skyclaw, almost. For a while, I thought...” she cleared her head with a shake. “But she lived, thankfully. The sickness took out most of our warriors, all of our apprentices, and four of our kits. Only the very oldest- Longheart, Nativeflight, the elders, and I- were untouched.” 

Flamepaw remembered Dapplewhisper’s advice and changed the subject slightly. “That seems odd, that only the oldest were unaffected.”

“It is. It happened in all the Clans, and no cat is sure why.” Swiftpath relaxed a bit with the shift. “The medicine cats and leaders have asked StarClan, but there has been only silence. It makes me nervous that the sickness wasn’t the end of it. I don’t know what, but something else is coming.”

The she-cats continued to chat until morning. Gorsepelt went into labor a little before dawn, and Swiftpath dashed inside as soon as the watch ended.

Nativeflight took the deputy position that morning and sent Flamepaw on a hunting patrol with Longheart and Ferretleap. The deaf she-cat taught the patrol basic signs before they headed out, and hunting went well. They ran into no trouble and each cat got four or five pieces of prey on their own. 

Flamepaw dropped her prey into the pile and joined Swiftpath outside of the nursery. “Any kits yet?” 

“Almost,” Swiftpath replied. Skyclaw came to join her mate, eyes lit up with worry and excitement. 

“I can’t wait any longer,” the dark she-cat groaned.

“Go tell that to Gorsepelt,” Flamepaw joked. “That’ll go over well.”

It was almost sundown when an exhausted-looking Gophershadow appeared out of the den. Flamepaw excused herself to her nest with a supportive tail-flick. 


	8. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kits come.

**Chapter 6**

_Swiftpath and Skyclaw_

The nursery was dark and crowded. The other queens and kits were sleeping in the spacious elders’ den that night, but little bodies still seemed to fill the space. Gorsepelt was curled around seven tiny kits, some of whose fur was still wet. “Oh my...” Skyclaw was lost for words. 

Swiftpath had seen many newborn kits in her life, but these were special. One, she noticed with concern, was especially small. “How are you feeling, Gorsepelt?”

“Horrible,” the new mother grumbled. “Here are your kits. You’re welcome.”

“You know how grateful we are! Even more, now.” Swiftpath approached cautiously and leaned down to sniff the kits. “StarClan, they’re wonderful. Skyclaw, come over here and look at our children!”

“If I remember correctly, you two agreed to not name them right away?” Gorsepelt asked as Skyclaw crouched down beside her newborn kits. 

“Well...” Swiftpath began. “We could change that agreement. Only names that we think a young cat will like.”

“I could go for that,” Skyclaw piped up. “We’ll just change the time frame. To now.”

“Start with the ones whose fur is dried,” Gophershadow advised. He was sitting in the entrance with wet moss, eyes glittering in the half-light.

“I’m naming two, you promised!” Gorsepelt said with a surprising amount of energy. She moved her tail to rest on a white-and-brown furred she-kit. “This is one of the oldest. Her name is Shalekit. And...” she touched her nose to a she-kit that looked exactly like her. “Her name is Yewkit.”

“Beautiful,” Swiftpath purred. “Now, my turn. I like Willowkit for this little she-kit. Look at how long her tail is already!” The newly named Willowkit flicked said long tail. “Hmm. Skyclaw, you name one now.”

Skyclaw named two gray tabby toms: Bushkit and Falconkit. Then, both Gorsepelt and Skyclaw decided on Trailkit for the smallest, a tom whose fur was drying to a deep black sheen. Swiftpath looked overwhelmed for a moment, then spoke again. 

“I suppose that leaves you,” she said to the spotted gray tom-kit, who squeaked and wriggled in response. “He will be called Thrushkit.” 

“Wonderful!” Gorsepelt said. She looked absolutely drained, barely able to keep her head up. “Now leave so I can sleep. Also, Gophershadow definitely left some wet moss for me. Go get it.”

The mates left the queen and kits well-fed-and-watered. In a switch from the night before, Swiftpath went right to sleep while Skyclaw went around telling the Clan the good news. She ended up taking care of Gracie’s kits- who all had Clan names by then- when the former kittypet went hunting with her mate, who had proven himself worthy and been named Darkwing. The kittypet kits had embraced Clan life joyfully, thrilled that they had playmates and could explore outside.

“Couldn’t you play outside with the Twolegs?” Skyclaw asked. Hazelkit was letting her know all about Twolegplace as she wrestled Featherkit, formerly Killian. Heatherkit, Wildkit, and Streamkit (formerly Noel) were playing with a mossball a few feet away.

Hazelkit wrinkled her nose. “No. They thought that we would run away if we stayed outside for more than a few minutes. Although their kits would sometimes take them to their friends’ houses. Not that there were that many other Twolegs around.”

Skyclaw was about to ask what a house was but then thought that they must be what Twolegs’ dens were called, the huge dark ones that lit up sometimes. 

“That doesn’t sound very fun. Well, now there are no houses, just the outdoors!” The warrior flicked her tail for the kits to chase. Wildkit called her siblings over and they entertained themselves until their parents returned at sunhigh.

“Thanks, Skyclaw,” Gracie purred. “That was a much-needed break. It’s great that I can leave them for a bit and know that there’s a whole group of cats who will take care of them for me.”

“Yeah, my pleasure. It’s good practice for me, because I have seven now,” Skyclaw replied. “Gorsepelt will feed them but she’s made it clear that she will not mother them, that Swiftpath and I have to.”

“We’ll help if you need it,” Darkwing put in. Skyclaw gave her appreciation and slipped off to hunt with Budpaw and Fawnpaw. The young tom’s warrior assessment was in just a couple of days and needed all the practice he could get. He had been making an effort to curb his enthusiasm, believing that it made him seem less like a warrior. 

Budpaw caught five pieces of prey, including a squirrel that he jumped across three trees to capture. He was a good jumper and relatively quick, if ungainly while running. Skyclaw thought that he as well as Spiderpaw would pass easily. Their blind sister Icepaw was a different story. She had a sharp nose and knew the territory well enough to catch prey somewhat normally, but she struggled with battle training and got overwhelmed easily. She would receive a warrior name but avoid battle and border patrols until she and her mentor Birdhowl could figure out a fighting strategy. 

Fawnpaw was actually quite bright and funny, with an active imagination and happy-go-lucky outlook on life. She was still tense and nervous around groups of Clan cats but settled down on patrols. She was truly trying to learn and progressing, if slowly. She grasped the concepts of hunting and basic battle training but lacked the background and fitness to effectively perform these actions. Skyclaw was patient with the apprentice and would be willing to train Fawnpaw until she was ready to become a warrior. 

This afternoon, the apprentice was attempting to effectively stalk a mouse. Her yellow eyes were slanted in concentration as she slowly moved across the forest. She had gotten most of the way to the mouse when she broke a stick, causing the creature to squeak in alarm and dart away. Skyclaw bolted and pinned it, ending its life with a quick bite. Fawnpaw’s eyes were dark with disappointment when she stood up. “I’m sorry. That was so clumsy!”

“It’s all right,” Skyclaw said gently. “Your form was spot-on, better than most warriors’. You just need to work on keeping your footfalls light. Also, it noticed you so late that I caught it. That was good. Hunting is about teamwork, not individual perfection. You’ve only been training for a moon and have tried so hard to get in condition. It will take time and patience.” Fawnpaw nodded and perked up, tail beginning to swish in an excited fashion again. 

It seemed that the entire Clan was up when the patrol returned. Swiftpath greeted her mate and the apprentices with a look full of worry but also elation. “A border patrol found fresh badger scents on our territory. I’ll lead a patrol to fight them tomorrow morning. Also, totally a side note, three of our kits have opened their eyes.” 

“We have to go see them!” Skyclaw said excitedly. She glanced furtively at the apprentices. “Of course, badgers are a big deal as well. That was the most important part of that conversation. Ah... you two are free to go.”

“Budpaw, you and Spiderpaw will join the patrol tomorrow. Prepare well.” Swiftpath nodded at the tom, whose eyes lit up with excitement. He bounced off to find his brother, Fawnpaw following eagerly. 

Gorsepelt looked a little more energized, chatting with Gracie and rolling a moss ball for Heatherkit. Most of the newborn kits were lying by her belly, but Thrushkit was stumbling around. He looked up when Skyclaw and Swiftpath entered.

“There are your mommies, Thrushkit. Don’t be shy, go say hello!” Gorsepelt gently nudged the kit towards the deputy, who crouched to see her son better. 

“Hi, Thrushkit! I’m Swiftpath. I’m your mother. This is Skyclaw, and she’s also your mother.”

“What does ‘mother’ mean?” Thrushkit asked. Swiftpath was reminded that it took time to grasp base understandings of the world, and he was a new, fresh creature, less than a day old. 

“It means we’ll be taking care of you and your siblings. Gorsepelt will feed you, but we’ll be raising you. Now, do you want to get your siblings up and look around the camp?” Skyclaw asked the kit. Trailkit and Yewkit had popped their heads up over the edge of the nest. 

Dapplewhisper and Flamepaw were halfway out of camp for a patrol, but came back to greet the kits. Heatherkit, Wildkit, and Streamkit had insisted on coming along and were telling the newborns all the details of the camp. “And those two are warriors! Well, only one of them. Flamepaw is the yellow cat and she joined a while ago like us, so she’s an apprentice. An _ old  _ apprentice. Dapplewhisper is training her.”

“Thank you for the introductions, Heatherkit, but how about you let us take over?” Swiftpath asked gently. The little she-cat nodded seriously and put her tail in Streamkit’s mouth. Her brother hissed and batted it away. 

“Trailkit, Thrushkit, Yewkit, this is Flamepaw and Dapplewhisper. Flamepaw only joined the Clan a moon ago so she’s an apprentice. Dapplewhisper is teaching her.” Skyclaw smiled as Dapplewhisper leaned down, purring at the kits.

“Look, Yewkit’s already like me,” Swiftpath joked when Trailkit and Thrushkit leaned forward to bat the warrior’s muzzle but the little she-kit stayed back carefully. 

The Clan practically drooled over the new kits. Even Fireshade seemed to like them, not seeming to mind when Thrushkit decided to use his tail for a pillow during a brief nap. 

“Let’s take them back to the nursery,” Skyclaw suggested, gently waking her son and getting him off of Fireshade. “Sorry, brother.”

“S’alright. I’ve been up since moonhigh, I’m going to follow his lead,” the bright ginger warrior yawned, padding away to the warriors’ den on a recently injured paw.

Heatherkit and her siblings had gotten bored with the tour and dashed away, chasing a moss ball that Flamepaw sent tumbling across the camp. 

Gorsepelt was sleeping when Swiftpath and Skyclaw returned with the kits, and the mates gently dropped their charges by the queen’s belly before padding out of the cramped den.

“What are you going to do now?” Skyclaw asked. 

“I have to figure out who’s going to fight badgers tomorrow,” Swiftpath replied. “Would you like to come on the patrol?”

“No, I’m giving Fawnpaw a hunting lesson. I would say take Dapplewhisper and Flamepaw- both have yet to fight in a battle.”

“Good idea.” The deputy went to the center of camp and clambered up onto Secondary Rock, calling out to her Clan. When enough cats had gathered, she spoke. “I will take Budpaw, Spiderpaw, Kitesnarl, Dapplewhisper, Flamepaw, and Nativeflight to fight the badgers tomorrow. They, as well as kits and elders, have first pick of prey tonight and should go to sleep early. Stonefeather, please take Kitesnarl’s place on the night border patrol.”

Swiftpath stumbled while leaping off Secondary Rock, almost spraining her paw. Budpaw rushed over, concerned. “Are you all right?”

“Yes, I just lost my footing for a moment. It’s probably just age,” she replied lightly. “You should prepare well for tomorrow. And, please, try to keep quiet on the way there. We will be sneaking up on the badgers, not alerting them of our presence.” The apprentice nodded in assent, trying very hard not to speak, even holding his breath so his chest expanded with effort. Swiftpath sighed resignedly. 


	9. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Badger fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for some violence and descriptions of injury in this chapter. It’s pretty minor, though.

**Chapter 7**

_Flamepaw_

Dapplewhisper woke Flamepaw at dawn to go over battle moves before the badger patrol. “You’ve fought big creatures before, correct?” 

“Yes, bit mainly already sick foxes,” Flamepaw replied.

“So, for badgers, you want to make yourself look as big as possible,” Dapplewhisper instructed. “But the trick is to be faster than them and get to their soft underbelly- good luck getting past their outer fur. Practice the move on me, I’ll get up on a rock to imitate the size.”

The two practiced until Swiftpath called them over to the rest of the patrol. “All right. Longheart, Fireshade, and Nativeflight scented badgers the strongest right near SpireClan’s border and saw what could have been the opening of a den. Be careful to not stray over the border, we don’t need trouble with SpireClan. Try to avoid injury and fight smart. Let us go.”

The patrol went across LeafClan’s territory in silence, on alert for any odd noises or scents that could tell them where the badgers were. That was not necessary, however, because the sounds of a battle came to them as soon as they got near SpireClan’s border. Swiftpath led to the patrol to where the land sloped steeply downward to a stream. Now, four badgers faced off against five cats, one lying bloody and still on the stream’s bank.

“That’s a SpireClan patrol. The darker gray tabby is the deputy, Barrenwing, and the warriors are Eagletalon, Stormfoot, and Lynxfeather. The wounded apprentice is Jewelpaw,” Dapplewhisper hissed to Flamepaw, who nodded. She remembered that the majority of SpireClan’s territory was covered with tall towers of rock, members mainly ate birds and rabbits, and their camp was in an eerie but protected hollow relatively near their forested border with LeafClan.

“Attack the badgers! Work together!” Swiftpath ordered, sprinting down the slope and joining a beautiful she-cat (Lynxfeather, Flamepaw presumed) in driving a large badger away from the fallen Jewelpaw. Flamepaw chose the smallest badger, ramming into its side and allowing Barrenwing to scratch its underbelly deeply.

“Who are you?” SpireClan’s deputy hissed, dodging a blow aimed for his head. Dapplewhisper ran over and leapt up onto the badger’s back, sinking her claws in.

“This is my apprentice Flamepaw. She used to be a loner. All will be explained at tomorrow night’s Gathering.”

Flamepaw used the badger’s distraction to dart under it, blindly clawing at its underbelly. With another SpireClan warrior’s help, they took that badger down, but the remaining three were not showing signs of slowing down. 

Swiftpath was quick, Flamepaw noted as the LeafClan deputy fought, and much more graceful than she had thought. After a moment, the she-cat blinked and went over to help. 

In the end, because of the collaboration between Clans, three badgers were seriously injured and one killed when Budpaw and Spiderpaw tore out its throat. As soon as the battle ended, Lynxfeather went over to Jewelpaw, disregarding her own injuries. Flamepaw had medicinal experience and went over as well, but backed away when the warrior snarled at her.

“I’ve never seen you before. Are you even LeafClan?”

“My name is Flamepaw. I have been in LeafClan for a moon. I was a loner in Twolegplace and learned how to heal some there. Is it alright if I help? These wounds are quite serious.” Flamepaw kept her ears down and fur flat, trying to look as unthreatening as possible. Lynxfeather glanced at Swiftpath, who nodded curtly.

“Poolstar allowed a group of outsiders to join us. She has already adapted to our ways and can be trusted.”

Flamepaw marveled at the obvious respect that Swiftpath generated, for Lynxfeather dipped her head in assent. “She had better be.”

Jewelpaw was barely conscious. A long gash ran down her side, and her left forepaw looked broken. Half of her right ear appeared to be missing. “What happened?” Flamepaw asked. The warrior that had helped fight off the first badger, a lighter gray tabby that was probably Barrenwing’s brother, spoke. 

“Two badgers were on our side of the stream. We attacked because we did not realize that there is a den on your side. Do you see that cave? That’s the den. Anyway, the two others came to help their friends and one got Jewelpaw in the side, sending her flying. She tore her ear and broke her paw in the fall, probably hitting her head as well.”

“Most likely a concussion. It’s critical that we get her side to stop bleeding. There are caves that should have cobwebs on this bank.” Flamepaw looked at Budpaw and Spiderpaw, who took the hint and dashed away, Lynxfeather following. “Make sure that there are no other animals in them! Can one of you get horsetail? The leaves are long, thin, and bright green.”

Nativeflight and the third SpireClan warrior went to collect it. Budpaw reappeared, holding a wad of spiderwebs in his mouth, Spiderpaw following with moss. Lynxfeather brought more of both. 

“Oh, moss, that’s a wonderful idea. Lynxfeather, dip it in the stream and clean the gash,” Flamepaw ordered. Luckily, the wound wasn’t deep, but sand was mixing with the blood and obviously causing Jewelpaw pain. Lynxfeather was incredibly gentle with the apprentice, spotting every individual grain of sand and murmuring soothing words. Barrenwing watched, anxiety clear in his eyes. 

“Thank you,” he said as Flamepaw mashed the horsetail that Nativeflight and Eagletalon (the SpireClan warrior) brought. “She’s my daughter, and I don’t want to watch her die.”

“Don’t thank me yet. I can stabilize her but it’s up to your medicine cat to save her,” Flamepaw replied. “It should take me a few more minutes to slow the bleeding.”

“So...” Budpaw began. “What’s been going on in SpireClan?”

“Why would we tell you that?” Eagletalon snarled. 

“I’m just trying to distract,” Budpaw murmured, abashed.

“That is a good idea. We can share information that will be revealed at the Gathering,” Swiftpath put in. “I can start. As you know, we have a new group of Twolegplace cats, including a litter of kits. They have been given Clan names based on age and preference.”

“That’s a bold move by Poolstar,” Barrenwing commented. His brother shook a is head, eyes narrowed. Eagletalon gazed at Flamepaw with clear distrust while Lynxfeather seemed deaf to the conversation.

“Agreed. Archfeather’s kits are apprentices- Hailpaw is the new medicine cat apprentice. And Gorsepelt gave birth to seven healthy kits yesterday.” Swiftpath’s obvious joy was tempered by Jewelpaw’s pained cries as Flamepaw applied the horsetail pulp to her wound. 

“Seven newborns. I only had two, I cannot imagine five more,” Barrenwing snorted. The conversation tapered until Flamepaw stabilized Jewelpaw. 

“You have to get her back to your camp. Be careful not to reopen the wound,” the golden she-cat warned. The SpireClan warriors carried the apprentice away, Barrenwing and Lynxfeather thanking Flamepaw profusely, leaving the lightly wounded LeafClan patrol to get back to their camp. 

“What happened?” Icepaw came racing over to her brothers, worry etched in every part of her, almost stumbling in her rush. “Are you horribly injured? Oh, StarClan, I should have been there!”

Flamepaw, who had become somewhat close with the blind apprentice, gave a reassuring purr. “A SpireClan patrol was already fighting them when we got there. The worst injury was to a SpireClan apprentice, and I managed to close her wound.”

“We’re all right. It was awesome! Spiderpaw and I killed one with a claw to its throat while Nativeflight got its stomach...” Budpaw’s excitement overflowed and he chattered away to his sister, who relaxed at his energy. Spiderpaw walked over to his mentor Fireshade to give a summary of the battle. The bright ginger tom had walked into a thornbush and sprained his paw two days before, so he hadn’t been on the patrol. 

Dapplewhisper brought a squirrel for her and her apprentice to share, purring. “That was wonderful, Flamepaw. You can heal as well as fight! I had no idea.”

“There were no medicine cats in Twolegplace,” Flamepaw shrugged. “I was traveling with my brother and mate for a while, and they both tended to get themselves injured. I got used to healing with little materials.”

“You have a mate? You’ve told me a little about your brother, but I didn’t know that you were ever...” Dapplewhisper trailed when Flamepaw’s tail and ears drooped in clear sorrow. “We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

“That’s fine. I might as well start opening up. So, as you know, my brother Vine is now a rogue. He decided he wanted to stay with a stable group because of my mate Flame’s death. We were looking for food when dogs attacked. They grabbed her and just tore her apart. There was absolutely nothing I could do to help but end her suffering. S-so I...” Flamepaw broke off, a sob rising in her throat. Dapplewhisper stared, horror and pity mixing in her eyes.

“You gave her a quick death. I am so sorry, Flamepaw,” the beautiful she-cat said quietly. Flamepaw shook her head, banishing the emotions. 

“In a Clan, she could have been saved. So I joined LeafClan the first chance I got and swore to help cats in need. That’s why healing Jewelpaw today was no trouble.”

“You’re very honorable,” Dapplewhisper smiled. The moment was broken up by Poolstar’s call: it was time for the warrior ceremony. Icepaw, Spiderpaw, and Budpaw sat in front of Callrock, their nervousness palpable.

The leader waited until all but Gorsepelt and the newborns had gathered to begin. “I, Poolstar, leader of LeafClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon these apprentices. They have trained hard to uphold the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as a warrior in turn. Birdhowl, has your apprentice, Icepaw, learned the skills of a warrior? Does she understand the importance of the warrior code?”

Birdhowl’s voice was steady and strong as he answered, “she has.”

“Very good. Icepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?”

“I do,” Icepaw said in a clear but somewhat wavering voice.

“Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Icepaw, from this moment you will be known as Iceshine. StarClan honors your intelligence, fortitude, and bravery, and we welcome you as a full warrior of LeafClan.” He put his nose to Iceshine’s head, and she touched his shoulder.

Dapplewhisper had to stop Flamepaw from cheering. “Wait until after he’s done!” She hissed. 

Poolstar gave Iceshine’s brothers the names of Budstream, honoring his energy, passion, and skill, and Spiderwing, lauding his steadiness, courage, and fighting ability. Then the Clan cheered for them. “Iceshine! Budstream! Spiderwing!”

Flamepaw, exhausted, cleaned herself in a nearby stream and slipped off to bed after Gophershadow judged that she was virtually uninjured. She dreamed of Flame’s striking golden eyes- but the shadow of a stunning tortoiseshell was beginning to overtake her heart.


	10. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Gathering.

**Chapter 8**

_Swiftpath_

The deputy watched her apprentice become a warrior with pride. The tom was sensitive and energetic but loyal and passionate as well, and would serve his Clan well. His sense of humor could lighten any situation, and he also knew when it was appropriate to use it. She was happy with the abilities he had and the knowledge she had given him.

Now, she had to choose a Gathering patrol. The young warriors would be going, as well as the medicine cats and whichever elders wanted to, but the other choices were tricky. The politics of the Clan had been shifted by the newcomers’ arrival, and the cap had been split into two distinctive groups. Skyclaw was the most vocal member of the newcomer’s supporters group and Fireshade the definitive leader of the anti-newcomer group, which was small but included such respected warriors as Birdhowl and Stonefeather, who was fighting with Budstream and Iceshine over their friendship with Fawnpaw, Chatterpaw, Patchpaw, and Flamepaw. Swiftpath had to remain above the tension and try to bring the Clan back together. 

The meeting had just ended, and only a few cats had slipped away. “LeafClan!” the deputy called. “Congratulations to the new warriors. You three will be coming to the Gathering tonight along with Gophershadow, Hailpaw, Spritepaw, Treepaw, Patchpaw, Nativeflight, Stonefeather, Fireshade, Ferretleap,Vinesplash, and Kitesnarl. Elders, please decide among yourselves.That is all.”

Poolstar had requested to meet with his deputy and senior warriors that afternoon. This happened before every Gathering, and the battle the day before had given them more to discuss.

“Barrenwing and his patrol know basics. Apprentices, kits, and that we have newcomers here,” Nativeflight reported. “He is grateful to Flamepaw for trying to heal his daughter, though two members on his patrol obviously disliked her.”

“Rightly,” Birdhowl murmured. Swiftpath sent him a sharp look.

“I know that you have reservations about the newcomers, but you will not get anywhere with them by acting like an apprentice. I find it hard to respect your concerns if you present them in an amateurish way.”

Birdhowl looked furious and embarrassed for a moment, but controlled himself. “I suppose you’re right. So, SpireClan knows nothing beyond what all the Clans will find out tonight and we happen to know that they have a severely wounded apprentice.”

“Who we shall hope lives,” Nativeflight said sternly. 

“That is all right. Now, it’s about time to head out. We will do the usual report tomorrow at sunhigh.” The leader dismissed the senior warriors. 

The Gathering patrol was by the entrance. Poolstar led the way across the western, heavily wooded portion of LeafClan’s territory. Starstones, where it was hell, was exactly in the middle of the three Clans. The long-ago original home of the Clans had been in a fully forested area, but Twolegs had destroyed it and the Clans had fled over the mountains to a lake area. Generations later, Twolegs had poisoned the water sources, almost wiping out the cats that lived there. A few from each Clan except for ThunderClan had pulled through. The survivors had fled yet again to a bigger area with a mostly abandoned Twolegplace beside it and formed five new Clans, named after their founding leaders, Streamheart, Spirewing, Leafsong, and Treepelt. 

RiverClan had been renamed StreamClan after its leader and taken the territory with the most streams and a small lake. WindClan, or SpireClan, had claimed the rocky, mountainous terrain far away from Twolegs. ShadowClan had become TreeClan and settled into the swampy, darker area, leaving LeafClan (formerly SkyClan) with pure forest and a few streams. Each leader and Clan was content with this arrangement and had called their Gathering place Starstones for its rocky ground and large rock in the middle for leaders and deputies to stand on. Very few Twolegs had ever shown up and those that did stayed well away from the forest. Medicine cats met at a place on the SpireClan/StreamClan line called Mooncave, and leaders came there to get their nine lives.

All of that was many moons before and the Clans lived in relative harmony, especially after the sickness. All but TreeClan had arrived when LeafClan’s patrol got to Starstones, and the leaders greeted Poolstar with cool nods. Swiftpath chose the easiest path up to the deputies’ level, feeling the battle that day. Silentbreeze greeted her with a friendly tail wave and Barrenwing purred when he saw her. “Greetings! How is Jewelpaw, Barrenwing?”

“She will live. She may never walk right again, but thanks to your apprentice, she is alive.” The tabby tom’s eyes glowed with unsaid gratitude.

“That is one advantage of living in Twolegplace, I suppose,” Swiftpath said. She gave a brief overview of the situation to Silentbreeze and Patchclaw, who had just arrived with TreeClan. “There was a battle with badgers today. My patrol helped Barrenwing’s fight them off. Poolstar has welcomed a group of Twolegplace cats into the Clan, and one helped to heal a wounded apprentice.”

“What? You let kittypets into LeafClan?” Silentbreeze asked, more shocked than aggressive. Patchclaw glanced up at the big blue-gray leader, disbelief clear in his gaze.

“Not all of them are. Flamepaw, Patchpaw, Wolfwind, and Shadeclaw were loners,” Swiftpath replied mildly. “They’ve settled in pretty well, actually. And it wasn’t my decision to make, so don’t look at me like that, Patchclaw.”

The youngest deputy dipped his head in apology. “It just seems like an unprecedented choice. Firestar and Cloudtail were the last Twolegplace cats allowed into the Clans- no, that was Daisy and Purdy. But they came one at a time and were either kits, young apprentices, queens, or elders. Allowing an entire group to join is a first.”

“It’s certainly grown the Clan, especially since one former kittypet has a litter,” Swiftpath acknowledged. She really appreciated the respect that other Clan cats showed her. She had worked hard to earn it by being friendly, stoic, and honorable over the moons. 

“Oh... and wasn’t your surrogate pregnant? Have the kits come?” Silentbreeze asked. 

“Yes! Seven of them,” LeafClan’s deputy purred. The other deputies congratulated her and Silentbreeze had time to share that his mate Chestnutclaw had given birth when the Gathering began. 

Mothstar was the oldest, so he went first. “StreamClan has two new apprentices! Tallpaw and Minnowpaw. Chestnutclaw has had a son, Riverkit. A patrol scented badgers near our territory but found no trouble with them. That is all.”

“Tallpaw! Minnowpaw!” The Clans cheered. Two young blue-gray cats looked highly embarrassed, one of them trying to hide behind a senior warrior, Fishjump. 

Branchstar looked at the other two leaders for permission to speak. When they both gave her the go-ahead, she began. “Nightwhisper has moved into the nursery with my kits. Sparrowfur has moved to the elders’ den after many moons of being a brave and loyal warrior. We also scented badgers and chased one off of our territory.”

Swiftpath’s heart sank a little as she cheered for Sparrowfur. Their warrior and apprentice names had been announced at the same Gatherings, and he had been looking weak and gray when she’d seen him in past moons. It made the deputy think about retirement more, an odd prospect because her kits had been born only the day before. No cat liked getting old, and Swiftpath was no exception. Nativeflight and Longheart had been talking about retiring in the past few moons as well. 

Meanwhile, Foxstar was speaking. Hawkfeather had earned his full medicine cat name, though he would still be an apprentice for a few more moons. “We, too, scented badgers. This morning, a patrol led by Barrenwing fought them on our border with LeafClan. Jewelpaw was badly injured before a patrol led by Swiftpath helped defeat the badgers. A LeafClan apprentice stabilized Jewelpaw, saving her life.”

“What warrior apprentice can heal?” A voice called from TreeClan’s group.

“This is where I can start. Only if you’re finished, of course,” Poolstar told Foxstar, who nodded in assent. “About a moon ago, I invited a group of Twolegplace cats to join LeafClan.”

The racket that the Clans made drowned out the big leader’s next words, causing the noise-sensitive Silentbreeze to hiss in alarm. “Excuse me!” Poolstar howled. The Gathering quieted to a low murmur. “I made this decision because Gophershadow got a sign from StarClan. My Clan has accepted them and this will only make us stronger.”

“That’s the problem!” A cat called. The noise in the clearing rose again, and as the other leaders tried to get their cats under control, Swiftpath leapt up to talk with her leader.

“Once it’s quiet, only announce the Clanborn apprentices, warriors, and kits,” she urged. “Naming so many new cats all at once will just cause more disturbance.”

Poolstar hissed in annoyance. “What are they complaining about? This doesn’t affect the other Clans!”

“It does, because kittypets or not, LeafClan has many more cats now. Numbers give us an advantage that they don’t have,” Swiftpath replied. “Trust my judgment. It’s why Ravenfang wanted me to be deputy.”

Poolstar nodded in defeat. “Fine.” It had calmed down, so he continued. “Spritepaw and Treepaw are now warrior apprentices, and Hailpaw is apprenticed to Gophershadow. Iceshine, Spiderwing, and Budstream have become warriors. Gorsepelt has given birth to a healthy litter. That is all.”

LeafClan left the Gathering quickly. Poolstar looked deeply unsettled at the reaction of the other Clans. “At least our Clan didn’t react like that. The newcomers are accepted here!”

Swiftpath felt a shiver of fear run through her. Could he really not tell how his decision was dividing LeafClan? It did not bode well for the future. 


	11. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ceremonies!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: brief violence

**Chapter 9**

_Flamepaw_

Flamepaw stalked through the forest, on alert for any prey. She crept silently, letting her paws slide over the leaves without rustling them like Dapplewhisper had taught her. _Dapplewisper_. Despite the growing division in camp, the two she-cats had become much closer and had agreed to become mates after Flamepaw’s warrior ceremony. Clan rules dictated that apprentices couldn’t take mates, especially with their mentors, usually because of age, though that wasn’t the case with Dapplewhisper and her older apprentice.

Flamepaw shook her head slightly. She wouldn’t be able to act on her feelings if she didn’t pass her final hunting assessment. While she had been thinking, a squirrel had entered the area and was leaping from tree to tree. Flamepaw waited until it was one tree away and then moved, climbing quickly and pouncing down on the terrified animal as it tried to escape. This was her third piece of prey, and she needed two more. 

A thrush sang in the trees nearer to Twolegplace. Flamepaw buried the squirrel and tracked the sound, knowing that there was a little flock of thrushes over there. She wasn’t a great leaper but made up for it in climbing ability. 

The pale tabby had just caught a thrush when a familiar scent hit her nose. She dropped the prey and hissed before a dark ball of fur ran into her. She was ready, however, and stayed upright, lashing out at a black she-cat.

“Hello, Jet. What are you doing on LeafClan’s territory?”

Flamepaw was immediately put off by the wild look in Jet’s eyes as the rogue bared her teeth. “I’m hunting. Just like you.”

“You know that you can’t hunt on Clan territory,” Flamepaw replied carefully. “Oh, Vine might have told you, but I’ve joined LeafClan. You’re intruding on my land.” She leapt forward, hoping to surprise Jet, but the strikingly black she-cat jumped back and clawed at the tabby’s shoulder.

Flamepaw let out a growl of pain and started to really fight, flipping Jet over and clawing at her stomach. This left her side open but she knocked the rogue’s head against a rock, slowing down her reaction times. Jet was a skilled fighter as well and put up a good resistance, but Flamepaw did eventually chase her away. Dapplewhisper appeared from the bushes then, her clear green eyes filled with worry and pride.

“Flamepaw! Sorry for not helping, but that can count as your fighting assessment. Are you okay?”

“A few scratches. Maybe half a day of rest.” Flamepaw licked her wounded shoulder. “That was so weird. Jet is usually a calm, rational cat; I don’t understand why she would just attack me randomly.”

“How well do you know her? You said that she’s in a group with your brother. How much time have you actually spent around her?” Dapplewhisper asked. 

“Not much. Well, she’s gone now. Let’s go to camp!” Flamepaw said brightly. The two she-cats trotted back to camp, picking up the other prey on the way. The apprentice managed to catch a mouse on the way, finishing off her prey quota.

Swiftpath greeted them at the entrance, her kits tumbling around her. Yewkit was the loudest of them and bounded right up to Flamepaw, frowning at the scent of blood.

“Hi! You smell weird. Are you a warrior yet?”

“I fought a rogue today. I’ll be a warrior soon, hopefully,” Flamepaw replied. Thrushkit came over, looking confused.

“But Kitesnarl says that you are a rogue, so how can you be a warrior?”

Swiftpath let out a groan. Kitesnarl had moved into the nursery a quarter moon before, pregnant with her and Fireshade’s first litter, and had spent the entire time sneering at Gracie’s big, six-moon-old litter or trying to turn the Clanborn kits against them. Gorsepelt was about ready to bite the orange she-cat’s head off. “Kitesnarl is wrong, remember? Flamepaw was a loner, but now she’s an apprentice, and soon she’ll be a warrior!” 

Patchpaw and Poolstar returned after the gray-and-white tom’s successful final assessment, and the leader went right ahead with the ceremony. Swiftpath left the kits with Skyclaw and Gorsepelt and walked to take her place below Poolstar. Gracie’s litter were also becoming apprentices, and they were happily bouncing around, much to their parents’ dismay.

Flamepaw headed to the medicine den to get her scratches treated. Gophershadow greeted her with a purr while Hailpaw glanced up from where she was pulling a thorn out of Fawnpaw’s pad.

“How did you get these?” Gophershadow asked. He began spreading a pulp on her shoulder.

“The fighting portion of my final assessment came early when a rogue attacked me. I fought her off pretty easily, though, and I’m not badly hurt.” Flamepaw stood still while Hailpaw succeeded in getting the thorn out, and Fawnpaw wailed. 

“OW! Wait, you passed? But that means that I’ll be stuck with Treepaw and Spritepaw, and they’re mean!” The pale brown she-cat pouted. Flamepaw purred lightly.

“You‘ll be a warrior soon enough. Skyclaw is a great mentor and you’re working very hard. You started with very little fitness and experience; I spent my life taking care of myself so I had an advantage in training. You have the work ethic to do this.”

Dapplewhisper stuck her head in. “Flamepaw! Come on!”

The apprentice grinned in excitement. She left with a thank-you to Gophershadow and joined Patchpaw at the front of the gathered Clan. They shared excited looks as Poolstar began to speak.

“Today, I have the honor of performing two ceremonies. Flamepaw and Patchpaw have passed their warrior assessments with flying colors and are ready to become full members of LeafClan. , Poolstar, leader of LeafClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon these apprentices. They have trained hard to uphold the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as a warrior in turn. Dapplewhisper, has your apprentice, Flamepaw, learned the skills of a warrior? Does she understand the importance of the warrior code?”

Dapplewhisper was practically glowing with joy when she said, “she has.”

“Excellent. Flamepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?”

“I do.” Flamepaw’s voice was filled with pride as she answered. 

“Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Flamepaw, from this moment you will be known as Flamelight. StarClan honors your humor, passion, and healing ability, and we welcome you as a full warrior of LeafClan.” He leapt down to put his nose to Flamelight’s shoulder, and she responded in kind.

“Patchpaw, you have learned quickly and proven to be a great hunter. By the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Patchpaw, you will now be known as Patchleap. StarClan honors your strength, intelligence, and adaptability.” He repeated the same shoulder-touching process. 

“Flamelight! Patchleap! Flamelight! Patchleap!” Dapplewhisper led the cats that approved of the Twolegplace cats in a cheer. Flamelight joined the tortoiseshell in the crowd as Gracie and her kits stepped forward.

Poolstar leapt back up on the rock. “Gracie, your kits have reached six moons of age. But before I make them apprentices, your name must be changed. Is it your wish to remain a nursery queen?”

“Yes,” the orange-and-white she-cat mewed. 

“Then your name is now Sunfur. StarClan accepts you as a protector of LeafClan’s young. Now, Streamkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Streampaw. Your mentor will be Fireshade. I hope Fireshade will pass down all he knows on to you.”

“I most certainly will not!” The ginger tom spat. “I refuse to teach that simpering little kittypet!” Streampaw’s ears went down and his eyes filled with tears, and Sunfur went to comfort him.

“Well, then. Streampaw, Ferretleap will be your mentor. He was taught well by Bouncewind.”

The awkwardness of the scene didn’t ease as Poolstar continued. “Featherkit, you are now Featherpaw. Longheart will be your mentor.” It took a moment for the deaf cats to understand, but both looked happy and touched noses when Swiftpath signed the message. An embarrassed Ferretleap touched noses with the still-upset Streampaw. Poolstar placed Wildpaw with Archfeather, who looked resigned but was glad to get her first apprentice in many moons. Stonefeather seemed unhappy to receive Hazelpaw, though she didn’t make a fuss and touched noses with the eager she-cat.

Swiftpath’s eyes widened in shock when Poolstar said that she would mentor Heatherpaw. The deputy greeted her new apprentice before making her own announcement.

“Heatherpaw will be my last apprentice. Once she is a warrior, I will retire to the elders’ den.” This caused murmurings from all cats, mostly of respect and understanding. Nativeflight had retired a half-moon before, when he had decided that Wolfwind and Shadeclaw were done with training. Longheart signed that she, too, would retire at the end of Featherpaw’s training. 

Once the pro-newcomer side had cheered for the apprentices, Poolstar declared the meeting at an end. However, Chatterpaw apparently had something to say. 

“I’m leaving!” The tom announced. “I thought that Clan life would be fun, but all of you are mean and I can never do anything right. So bye!” He waltzed away, not even glancing back when Fawnpaw let out a howl of disbelief. 

“Good riddance,” Archfeather sighed, and Flamelight couldn’t help but agree. Chatterpaw had never pulled his weight or even made an effort to fit in. He was unsuited for Clan life. She only wished that he hadn’t ruined her warrior ceremony. 

That night, Flamelight and Patchleap stood watch silently. Nothing happened and the yellow tabby was delighted to curl up next to Dapplewhisper, who had done a night hunting patrol, in a shared nest for a brief rest. She felt happy and free, at least for a few moments. They had spoken many times about Flamelight’s worries over the relationship holding Dapplewhisper back and ruining her good reputation, but the beautiful tortoiseshell had made it clear that she loved the former loner and didn’t care what other cats thought.

Flamelight was excited for what the future would bring. 


	12. Updated Allegiances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I only included SpireClan in these because the other two Clans won’t appear much in this story and SpireClan will. Their allegiances are technically sat after Chapter 10. LeafClan has a lot of apprentices and kits! I also added a few more rogues.

**LeafClan (Updated)**

Leader: Poolstar- large pale blue-gray tom with dark blue eyes and black tail 

Deputy: Swiftpath- small, lithe senior pale brown she-cat with blue eyes, white feet, and darker underbelly 

**Apprentice, Heatherpaw**

Medicine Cat: Gophershadow- plump black-and-brown tabby tom with yellow eyes

**Apprentice, Hailpaw**

Warriors: Skyclaw- dark ginger she-cat with pale blue eyes

**Apprentice, Fawnpaw**

Birdhowl- tortoiseshell tom 

Iceshine- pale brown she-cat with blind white eyes

Budstream- gray tabby tom with orange eyes

Spiderwing- heavy dark gray tom

Wolfwind- senior black she-cat, former loner

Shadeclaw- thin brown tom, former loner

Stonefeather- heavyset brown-and-gray mottled she-cat

**Apprentice, Hazelpaw**

Archfeather- black she-cat

**Apprentice, Wildpaw**

Ferretleap- large brown tom

**Apprentice, Streampaw**

Dapplewhisper- young, stunning mottled red, black, gray-blue, and black she-cat with clear green eyes

Flamelight- slim pale yellow tabby she-cat with green eyes, former loner

Patchleap- fuzzy gray-and-white tom, former loner

Darkwing- dark gray tom, former kittypet 

Fireshade- bright ginger tom

**Apprentice, Treepaw**

Longheart- senior long-furred white she-cat, deaf

**Appprentice, Featherpaw**

Vinesplash- young tuxedo cat with white patch on back

**Apprentice, Spritepaw**

Apprentices: Streampaw- dark gray tom

Heatherpaw- tortoiseshell she-cat with yellow eyes

Hazelpaw- orange tabby she-cat

Wildpaw- small dark gray tabby she-cat

Featherpaw- deaf white tom

Hailpaw- black she-cat

Spritepaw- black-and-white tom

Treepaw- black-and-orange mottled tom

Fawnpaw- black-spotted fawn-colored she-cat with yellow eyes, former kittypet 

Queens: Kitesnarl- orange she-cat, expecting Fireshade’s kits

Sunfur- patched white-and-orange she-cat, former kittypet, permanent nursery queen

Gorsepelt- brown tabby she-cat with gray eyes, surrogate of Swiftpath and Skyclaw, nursing Yewkit (brown tabby she-kit with small ears), Shalekit (brown-and-white she-kit with black paws and spiky fur), Thrushkit (spotted gray tom with darker gray mask), Trailkit (black tom with sleek fur), Bushkit (gray tabby tom with long legs), Falconkit (dark gray tabby tom with stubby tail), and Willowkit (brown-and-white mottled she-kit with long tail)

Elders: Jayheart- scraggly gray tom with blue eyes and white patches

Fatetail- tailless white she-cat with green eyes

Appleclaw- tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes

Nativeflight- dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

**Other (Updated)**

Chatterpaw- fawn tabby tom, kittypet

Shell- stunning pale gray she-cat, rogue

Crimson- dark ginger tom, rogue

Vine- pale gray tabby tom, rogue

Jet- young jet-black she-cat with white face, rogue

Snarl- young black tom, rogue

Shine- silver she-cat, rogue

Bee- dusky brown tom, rogue

**SpireClan (Updated)**

Leader: Foxstar- gray-and-ginger patched tom

Deputy: Lynxfeather- unique golden she-cat with black patterned spots

Medicine Cat: Hawkfeather- mottled gray tom with yellow eyes

Warriors: Rockfall- dark gray tabby she-cat

Barrenwing- dark gray tabby tom with amber eyes

Sharpheart- ginger-and-gray she-cat with green eyes

Wingpelt- white tom

Stormfoot- gray tabby tom

**Apprentice, Palepaw (white she-cat)**

Gustwhisker- silvery tabby 

Sheerpelt- thin-furred ginger point she-cat

Pounceflight- pale brown tom

**Apprentice, Jetpaw (blue-gray tom)**

Songpool- dark blue-gray she-cat with lighter paws

Queens:  Quailfur- brown she-cat, mother to Stormfoot’s kits, Cloudkit (small gray tom), Wrenkit (brown tabby she-kit), and Galekit (chocolate tortoiseshell tom with twisted jaw)

Elders:  Brightfang- ginger she-cat

Antstep- young tiny brown tom with tiny paws, unable to walk correctly


	13. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A battle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: violence and death.

**Chapter 10**

_Swiftpath_

After the hectic ceremony, the deputy looked at Heatherpaw. The tortoiseshell grinned up at her mentor. “Yay! I’m so excited to get you!”

“And I am happy to be able to train you,” Swiftpath purred back. “Since it’s early afternoon already, how about we go on a brief territory tour and then finish tomorrow?”

“Sure!” Heatherpaw chirped. She and Swiftpath joined the other new apprentices and mentors on a patrol. The deputy noted with concern that while the other mentors were engaged, Stonefeather seemed to be detached from Hazelpaw. There were no signs of any more rogues and the patrol got back to camp in the late afternoon. The apprentices were tired but happy, and went off to make their nests.

Swiftpath motioned for Stonefeather to come aside with her. She knew that she had to be cautious and not too harsh. “Stonefeather, I noticed that you didn’t help explain the territory today. Would you care to explain why? I am not angry, just concerned about your engagement in Hazelpaw’s training.”

Stonefeather sighed, frustrated. “I don’t think that those kittypets should have been let into the Clan, let alone be made apprentices. I doubt Hazelpaw’s ability to fit in and become a good warrior, and Poolstar knows that.”

Swiftpath thought over her next words for a moment. “I can see where you’re coming from with cats like Chatterpaw, and even Patchleap, Flamelight, Wolfwind, and Shadeclaw. But these young cats have been with us for almost two moons and settled in right away. They’re kits who want to learn and want to be a part of LeafClan. If they had stayed in Twolegplace, they would have been separated from their parents. They will make good additions to the Clan and should be treated like Archfeather’s litter; as normal apprentices. So if I think that you are not Hazelpaw to the best of your ability, I will not hesitate to get her a new mentor.”

Stonefeather nodded. “Understood.” Swiftpath stood and headed for the nursery, frustrated with prejudice and needing to see her kits. They were playing Clan that afternoon, watched by Nativeflight (who absolutely adored his grandkits) while Gorsepelt was on a walk. 

“Ah! Mom!” Yewkit squeaked. “You can be a warrior. I’m Yewstar, leader of LeafClan, of course, and Thrushclaw is the deputy! Willowleaf is the medicine cat.” The small-eared kit was the loudest of the litter and the unquestioned leader, showing confidence at an early age. She was also bright, catching onto complex ideas quickly, and had an acute memory. Thrushkit was the opposite, bumbling around after Yewkit like she was the leader of the world. Swiftpath was worried at how mentally slow he was compared to his siblings, though he asked the most questions. 

As the game went on, the other kits’ personalities shone through. Bushkit got distracted constantly but showed his compassion by helping up Falconkit, who was working extremely hard to learn to balance on his stump tail with Fatetail, after he tripped on a twig. Trailkit, meanwhile, was following Flamelight around, talking about the difference between Twolegplace and LeafClan. He was as quick to learn as Yewkit but didn’t have any sense of boundaries, and asked warriors personal questions quite loudly. 

Shalekit was posing as an evil warrior in the game. It fit her sly personality perfectly, because it required sneaking around and tricking her siblings into doing things for her (like grabbing a moss ball). She also had a lighter streak of mischievousness, and Swiftpath knew that she would need a mentor who could deal with her constant tricks. The deputy loved all of her kits, but if she had a favorite, it would have to be Willowkit. The mottled she-kit was a tiny version of the younger Swiftpath; she was cautious, observant, and struggled to speak with young cats, even her siblings. Both of her mothers were dedicated to helping her improve socially so she could function better than Swiftpath had as an apprentice during training.

The sweet moment ended when Gorsepelt returned and the sun went down, signaling bedtime. It took a while for them to get into the nest, but once they did, all seven kits were fast asleep. 

The next day, Swiftpath didn’t get the chance to play with her litter because Heatherpaw begged to learn basic hunting moves after the end of the territory tour. The senior warrior was beginning to feel that she should have retired with Nativeflight, but she wouldn’t just abandon Heatherpaw and was enjoying how little she talked compared to Budstream. Suddenly, wails split the air, bringing most of the Clan to attention. 

A young white she-cat smelling of SpireClan burst into camp, followed by Fireshade, Spiderwing, Spritepaw, and Vinesplash, who had been patrolling the border. She got many odd looks but didn’t seem to notice. 

Poolstar appeared from his den, hearing the ruckus. “Who are you, apprentice?”

The she-cat’s eyes were wide with fear. “I’m Palepaw. I became an apprentice of SpireClan a few days ago. Foxstar sent me here because- because rogues are attacking our camp and they’ve already killed Eagletalon and- and we need your help.”

Poolstar spoke as gasps rang out around the clearing. “Of course we will help! Swiftpath, take a patrol to assist.”

Swiftpath nodded and glanced around the clearing. “Dapplewhisper, Flamelight, Stonefeather, Birdhowl, Budstream, Spiderwing, and Fireshade! Come on!”

Fireshade snarled. “Why should we risk losing warriors for a rival Clan?”

“Because Poolstar said so and it’s the right thing to do. If you don’t agree, then stay,” Swiftpath snapped. Fireshade would never pass up a chance to fight and aquiesced. 

Palepaw led the patrol in a full sprint into SpireClan’s rocky territory. Swiftpath could see that Flamelight was a little thrown off by how exposed it all was, but she kept up just fine and had little time to think about it anyway. The sound of fighting grew louder and louder until the patrol reached SpireClan’s camp, which was in a relatively covered dip in the terrain and currently housing a furious battle. 

“This is less than at first, but we’re still outnumbered,” Palepaw whimpered. Swiftpath took control of the situation. 

“Palepaw, you stay here, out of danger. LeafClan, split into small groups and help those who need it the most. Come on!”

Swiftpath and Archfeather raced through where a formidable thornbush wall had once been (it was torn and tattered; the rogues must have burst right through based on the amount of thorns in their pelts) and ran over to where a beautiful gray she-cat was clawing down on a badly injured dark gray tabby. Swiftpath saw that it was Barrenwing as she rammed into the rogue’s side with a howl, followed by Archfeather. The LeafClan cats worked together well; the black she-cat had been the deputy’s first apprentice and their fighting styles worked together. 

The rogue gave as good as she got, however, and it took a long time to chase her off. As she ran, the she-cat let out a call to retreat, and the other rogues slipped away. The last to leave was a dusky brown tom who had to be chased away from a bright ginger body. At first, Swiftpath thought it was Fireshade, but then realized that it was Jewelpaw, the apprentice that had been injured in the badger attack not long before. 

After a moment of shocked silence, the camp bustled into action again. Swiftpath looked herself and Archfeather over; she had a relatively deep scratch on her sideand a torn ear-tip while her Clanmate was having trouble standing on a sprained paw. The other LeafClan cats didn’t appear to be very injured, the worst damage being a deep clawmark on Spiderwing’s thigh. Well, not very injured compared to SpireClan.

Foxstar recovered from losing a life in time to help the LeafClan patrol and Palepaw (who was terrified and grief-stricken but physically unharmed) count the dead and injured. The gray-and-ginger tom sadly named each cat: Eagletalon, Puddlefoot the medicine cat, Palepaw’s mentor Rushclaw, an elder, Berryfeather, and Jewelflower, who had recovered from her badger wound only to die less than a moon later. Luckily, their nursing queen Quailfur was safe with her litter in the nursery. 

The injured cats were somehow worse than the dead cats, because there were so many of them. Jewelflower’s sister Sharpheart had managed to stay relatively healthy and was helping Flamelight close Barrenwing’s wounds. The remaining medicine cat, Hawkfeather, was treating as many of his Clanmates as possible in a short time. 

Once the worst injuries were dealt with, Flamelight went over to Swiftpath. “This is really bad,” she said, watching Jewelflower’s mother cry over her body. “The she-cat that you and Archfeather fought was Shell, the leader of the rogues, which is why she called for a retreat when you drove her off. The worst thing about this for me is that she’s never shown any sign of attacking a Clan like this. It’s so out of character for the whole group.”

“You’re worried that your brother will be judged harshly by the Clans for this,” Swiftpath guessed. Flamelight nodded.

“I- I fought him today, and asked why they were doing this. All he did was claw at me. Vine is a good cat and I’m worried that he’s turning evil.”

“If this is out of character for this group, then there is a deeper mystery here,” Swiftpath said reasonably. “If all of the rogues are acting out of character, it’s a bigger issue but not necessarily their fault. Your brother might be being influenced by something else.”

“That... oddly makes me feel a little better. Anyway, that wasn’t really what I wanted to talk to you about. Dapplewhisper and I have decided to stay and help SpireClan recover for a few days. I can heal and they only have one medicine cat left. There are some cats, like Barrenwing, that are in critical condition and another healer is needed to treat them. Dapplewhisper can hunt and patrol for them. Foxstar said that he would let us stay.”

Swiftpath saw the reasoning and twitched her ears. “If that is what you want to do. It is quite selfless of you both. I wish you luck, and be back by the Gathering.”

The deputy waited for Flamelight and Dapplewhisper to say goodbye to the rest of the patrol before heading out, troubled by this turn of events. Would the rogues attack again? And would LeafClan be their next target?


	14. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dapplewhisper and Flamelight help out SpireClan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: depictions of injury, blood, and grief

**Chapter 11**

_Flamelight and Dapplewhisper_

Flamelight and Dapplewhisper’s focus was on the destroyed SpireClan camp after the LeafClan patrol left. There was no protection from the elements left except at the nursery, where both Eagletalon and Rushclaw had died. The nursing queen, Quailfur, stuck her head out and gasped in shock. Dapplewhisper bounded over. 

“Who are you?” Quailfur growled, pushing her kits behind her. 

“My name is Dapplewhisper and the yellow she-cat is Flamelight. We came here to help fight off the rogues and we’re staying to help your Clan recover. Are you or your kits injured?”

The queen blinked. “N-no. We’re all safe. Actually, I can help too. I have my strength- but my kits will need to be with a cat.“

Palepaw had overheard the conversation and got up from Rushclaw’s body. “I can. I could use the distraction.”

“We can help!” A gray kit protested. 

“No, Cloudkit. You, Wrenkit, and Galekit are going to be in the nursery with Palepaw.” Quailfur’s firm gaze squashed any more protests. “Now, Dapplewhisper, what can I do to help?”

“You would know more than I do. The camp is exposed and half the dens are destroyed, so we should probably make a shelter for tonight. The nursery looks like it could hold a few cats.”

“Yes, it’s even soundproof,” Quailfur agreed. Her eyes darkened when she spotted her fallen Clanmates. “Oh, no. I knew that Rushclaw had died, but...” 

“These rogues really took a toll. There are severe injuries as well.”

An injured Stormfoot noticed the queen and hobbled over on a badly twisted back paw. “Oh, thank StarClan you’re okay. And the kits?”

“They’re with Palepaw,” Quailfur reassured. “Scared but unharmed. You, meanwhile, need medical assistance.”

“Flamelight can help,” Dapplewhisper said. She received odd looks and rushed to explain. “She was originally a loner and learned basic healing skills in Twolegplace.”

Stormfoot drew back. “Oh, yes. That’s the cat who supposedly healed Jewelflower after the badger attack. I don’t trust her to heal me.”

“Well, Hawkfeather is currently overwhelmed with patients, so she’s your only option,” Dapplewhisper pointed out.

Quailfur looked at her mate pleadingly. “I don’t care if she just came out of a Twoleg nest, I want her to heal you if she can. Our kits need their father.” Stormfoot nodded reluctantly, placated by the thought of his children.

Flamelight looked over from where she was putting spiderwebs on Pounceflight’s flank. “Great! Then get over here and lie down. I’ll treat you in a moment.”

Foxstar stood on top of a tall boulder, analyzing the situation. “Cats that aren’t being treated, come over here!” 

Jetpaw looked relatively unharmed, and three other warriors had escaped with only a few scratches. Dapplewhisper recognized them: Sharpheart was Jewelflower’s sister and a young warrior, Gustwhisker was a senior warrior, and Lynxfeather she knew well. The two had bonded as apprentices and the uniquely spotted she-cat had been Dapplewhisper’s first crush. Wingpelt and Songpool, Palepaw and Jetpaw’s parents, were both wounded but able to walk. Foxstar looked down at the little group for a moment before speaking.

“All right. We need shelter for tonight, and the thorn wall needs to be rebuilt as soon as possible. First, before I assign patrols, I need to know how Barrenwing is doing.”

“He’s critically injured. I can save him but it will take time to heal,” a hassled-looking Hawkfeather called. 

“He’s not fit to be deputy in his condition. So, I say these words before StarClan. Barrenwing has served his Clan well but is unable to continue his duties. Lynxfeather, you are a strong warrior who has mentored two apprentices and shown your unquestionable loyalty to SpireClan. You will be the next deputy.”

Lynxfeather dipped her head, shocked but pleased. “Thank you for this honor, Foxstar. I won’t let you down.”

“I know you won’t. Now you, Sharpheart, and Dapplewhisper will begin putting the thorn wall back together. Gustwhisker, you, Quailfur, Songpool, Jetpaw, and Wingpelt will prepare a temporary shelter for tonight. A few cats can sleep in the nursery and my den but it won’t be enough. I will join you in your efforts.” 

While the healthier cats struggled to put the camp back together (getting many thorns in their paws and muzzles), Flamelight and Hawkfeather were working out the warriors’ injuries. Barrenwing had several very deep scratches on his body and was the most injured; he was treated first and in a clean nest in relatively stable condition. His mate Sheerpelt was in the nest beside him with a concussion and wounds that could start bleeding again if she moved too suddenly. She had to stay awake to avoid getting brain damage. Rockfall, a senior warrior, probably had the grisliest wounds, for she had lost an eye and most of an ear. She handled the pain well and lay patiently while Hawkfeather cleaned her empty eye socket.

“It’s a good thing that your eye fell out,” Flamelight said to Rockfall while setting Stormfoot’s paw in a normal position. “This is a little cleaner. Your ear, though, has a chance of infection.”

“I’ll keep it away from the dirt,” Rockfall replied evenly. “So, Hawkfeather says that you were a loner until recently?”

“Yes, Poolstar allowed a group of loners and kittypets to join LeafClan. I feel that I’ve adjusted pretty well and understand the Warrior Code.”

Stormfoot grunted. “ _Sure_. Once a loner, always a loner, I say.”

“Remember that I am holding your badly sprained leg in my paws. Do you really want to upset me?” Flamelight asked. She smirked when Rockfall snorted and Stormfoot quieted. “Yeah, I didn’t think so. Not that I would purposefully harm a patient, no matter how unpleasant they act.”

“If you’re so good at healing, how come you aren’t a medicine cat?” Hawkfeather asked. He was reserved but was slowly opening up to Flamelight.

The yellow tabby poked Sheerpelt to consciousness. “I don’t have the temperament. Also, I want to be permitted to have a mate- that’s Dapplewhisper- and kits. I want a family.”

“Fair enough.” Hawkfeather shrugged. “The cats here seem stable, so let’s go treat the elders. Antpelt hasn’t seen death on this scale before- he’s young and can’t walk well because of his feet. Berryfeather fought off two rogues before dying of his wounds, so they’re both quite upset.”

“This entire situation is upsetting,” Flamelight said. She and Hawkfeather approached the elders, who were listlessly trying to put their den back together. The much older ginger she-cat was actually making some progress. Antpelt, whose feet were a kit’s size and must have been incredibly painful to walk on, was making much less headway.

“Brightfang!” Hawkfeather called. “This is Flamelight from LeafClan. She’s helping me out since...” he broke off, showing grief for the first time that day, “...since Puddlefoot is dead.”

“I’m fine. Antpelt needs help,” Brightfeather called back. 

“No, I don’t need anything,” the young tom countered. However, when he tried to take a step, he stumbled with a pained cry. 

“You need to get off your paws. Is your nest still whole?” Hawkfeather asked gently.

“No... I’ll rebuild it...” Antpelt murmured. 

“Use mine. I can handle one night on the ground,” Brightfang offered. She guided her young denmate inside the half-collapsed den with a glance at the healers. “I can take care of him. Thank you for helping, Flamelight.”

There were still more patients. Jetpaw was supposed to be helping put up a shelter but was instead staring at the bodies of his Clanmates, eyes wide with grief and shock. Flamelight approached him, making herself look as small as possible. “Jetpaw? My name is Flamelight. How about you come with me to get more herbs?”

Songpool hobbled over, teeth bared in a snarl. “No he will not! I won’t let my son be taken away and killed by a dirty rogue.” Her mate Wingpelt growled his agreement from a few feet away.

Foxstar stood in his warrior’s way. “If she wanted to kill us, she would have already. She is generously helping us recover. I think that it would be nice if Jetpaw came along so she can collect as many herbs as possible.”

Songpool didn’t argue with her leader, but was still distrustful. “Fine. But you had better be right about this.”

Jetpaw seemed to have none of his parents’ reservations and went along, getting a little life back when he and Flamelight approached the forest. “What herbs do we need?”

“Horsetail to stop the bleeding, first of all, and any other herb we can find. Rose petals mashed up in a bit of water can help with shock.” Flamelight enjoyed the apprentice’s curiosity, and the two had a pleasant time collecting herbs. Jetpaw seemed bolstered by the remedial actions and came back to camp determined to help out in any way he could. 

Songpool looked up and grumbled when she saw that Flamelight had not, in fact, murdered her son. The former loner spent the evening pulling thorns out of cats’ paws and retreated to the shadows with Dapplewhisper once the vigil began. They hadn’t known any of these cats and didn’t fully share in the grief that hung over SpireClan’s camp.

The mates curled up near the medicine den at the edge of the rough stick shelter that the healthy cats had managed to put up. They fell asleep quickly, exhausted by the events of the day. 


	15. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kits play a fun game.

**Chapter 12**

_Swifpath_

Skyclaw and Wolfwind were standing guard when the patrol returned. They moved slowly because Spiderwing and Archfeather were only able to effectively stand on one leg and Swiftpath’s side was pulsing with pain. The dark ginger warrior’s eyes flashed with worry for her mate and she rushed over. Wolfwind stayed where she was, reserved as usual.

“What happened? Where are Dapplewhisper and Flamelight?”

“They elected to stay with SpireClan, who lost quite a few cats and had their camp destroyed,” Swiftpath replied. “They’ll be back by the Gathering.”

“No they won’t. They’re going to defect to those mangy furballs,” Fireshade spat. “Good riddance, I say.”

Skyclaw gave him an irritated look. “I’m sure they’ll come back. Now, you all should see the medicine cats for treatment.” Archfeather and Spiderwing hobbled off, followed by the scratched-up Birdhowl and Stonefeather. Budstream was barely touched, it seemed. 

Swiftpath tried to leap up to Poolstar’s den once she got into camp, but was immediately brought down by her wound with a grunt of pain. Gorsepelt looked up in alarm at the nursery while Skyclaw hissed in annoyance. “You can tell Poolstar what happened later. Or, even better, in the medicine den. Come on!”

The large tom appeared from his den, curiously blinking down at the scene. “I can’t smell Flamelight and Dapplewhisper. Are they all right?”

“Yes, they stayed to help SpireClan!” Budstream called. 

“Right. Swiftpath, let Birdhowl give me the run-down because he’s less injured. Hailpaw, please help her.”

The black apprentice (silent because she had a mouthful of herbs and cobwebs) led the deputy to a softer piece of ground and gestured for her to lie down. She spat out her load and took control of the situation. “Skyclaw, can you mash these herbs together on a rock? They should be in a pulp. Swiftpath, lie still so I can clean your wounds.”

As Hailpaw licked the dirt out of her scratch, Swiftpath reflected that the young she-cat seemed older than her eight moons. Gophershadow gave her glowing reviews and said that she was going to make a great medicine cat. She worked effectively and had the wound cleaned and covered within ten minutes. “You need to rest for a week and can get back to easy exercise after that. Also, you need to eat more. I can see your ribs.”

“I’ve looked like this since the epidemic,” Swiftpath grumbled defensively. “I was too busy feeding your parents to eat.”

“Well, that’s not the case anymore,” Skyclaw said with an annoyed huff. “Listen to Hailpaw. In fact, I will get you a mouse while you go relieve Gorsepelt from nursery duty. Don’t argue with me.”

Swiftpath grumbled about crazy mates all the way to the nursery, but the look on Gorsepelt’s face when the deputy told her that she could take a break made it worth it. The kits were pleased to see their mother and flocked her, sniffing at the cobwebbed wound worriedly. Kitesnarl watched the scene from inside the den, glaring balefully. 

“Are you okay? What happened?” Yewkit demanded.

“Are you going to die?” Falconkit whimpered. “I don’t want you to die.”

Swiftpath purred at the kits’ worry. “I’m not going to die. I fought some bad cats and got hurt, that’s all. It’s good for you, because I can spend time with you now!” A cat cleared their throat, and the senior warrior looked to see Heatherpaw staring at her expectantly. “Oh, yes, I told you that we would hunt today. I’m on medicine cats’ orders to rest until the Gathering, so how about you tag along with Ferretleap, Vinesplash, Longheart, Skyclaw, Streampaw, Featherpaw, Spritepaw, and Fawnpaw for today? They’re going on a hunting patrol. I’ll figure something out for the rest of the time.”

Heatherpaw flicked her tail in acceptance. “All right! Feel better.”

“I can take over her training until you heal,” Skyclaw called. “Come on, Heatherpaw, we’re leaving now!”

“Thank you!” Swiftpath called back. She turned to the kits again, smiling. “You were playing something when I came over. Why don’t you keep going?” She lay down close to Kitesnarl, glad to be able to relax.

“Yesterday, Appleclaw told us about an evil cat called Tigerclaw and what he did to ThunderClan! I wanted to do a game about it, but make it original, so I changed all the names. I’m Shinestar, who was a great leader but is now really old and going crazy. She doesn’t trust any cat in ThunderClan except for the deputy Blackheart and a young warrior, Sparksoul,” Yewkit said, pointing at her siblings as she introduced the characters. Bushkit played Blackheart (Tigerstar), Shaleclaw was Sparksoul (Firestar), and Shinestar was obviously based on Bluestar. Trailkit was acting as Heatpaw (Swiftpaw), an apprentice who was angry at Shinestar because she refused to make him a warrior. Willowkit played the gentle queen Mothfur (Brindleface), Falconkit was Sparksoul’s best friend Duskwing (Graystripe).

Kitesnarl cut Thrushkit off as he introduced his evil rogue character. “The furballs renamed Scourge as _Snarl_! That is so insulting!”

“Maybe it’ll teach you to be nicer to my kits,” Swiftpath said through snorts of laugher. “ _I_ think that it’s a great name. Have you started the story yet?”

“Yeah, Heatpaw is confronting Shinestar about making him a warrior. This is after Blackheart’s betrayal,” Yewkit said matter-of-factly. “Let’s start at the beginning. The shade of that stone is my den.”

Trailkit crept up to Yewkit, who pretended to be staring off into the distance. “Yew- ah, Shinestar! I want to become a warrior!”

“No. You’ve hardly trained and you’re also a traitor,” Yewkit snapped. “Go away!”

“I‘ve been training for eight moons! I passed my final test ages ago!” Trailkit complained. 

“Leave, traitor!” Yewkit roared in her high voice, making the group of apprentices and warriors that had gathered to watch jump at her volume. Even Kitesnarl was interested by then. “I hate you!”

Trailkit slunk off to Willowkit, who was poised and apparently listening in on the conversation. “Mama, Shinestar’s being mean! I want to run away!”

“I love you so much that I’ll go with you!” Willowkit declared, waving her long tail around in mock anger.

Swiftpath noted that as the first factual error of the game; Goldenflower had been Swiftpaw’s mother and Brindleface had died before Swiftpaw. They were also leaving out Brightheart completely. Still, it was a good way to combine events.

Willowkit and Trailkit ran to Treepaw and Wildpaw, glaring up at them. “Oh no! Dogs are killing us!” The apprentices caught on and batted at the kits, who fell still quickly. Falconkit and Shalekit came over to them and began to faux cry.

“No! They’ve been killed by Blackheart’s dogs!”

Then the remaining ThunderClan “live” cats gathered together and ran around the nursery area. “Fire! Fire!” Yewkit was proving to be a great actress and fell to the ground in a convincing coughing fit. Shalekit and Falconkit stopped to help her, letting out more distressed cries. “Shinestar is sick!” Falconkit said. “Sparksoul, you’re the deputy so you have to go to the Gathering as leader!”

The two kits bounded over to the stone that had formerly been Shinestar’s den and was apparently Fourtrees now. Bushkit appeared for the first time, jumping up onto the stone with an angry look on his face. Shalekit fell off as she tried to climb and passed it off as shock. “Blackheart! Traitor! What are you doing here?”

Bushkit cackled. “I am now Blackstar, leader of ShadowClan! The Dark Forest says that you can’t tell the other Clans what I did and made the sky go black!”

Swiftpath sent a hard look at Appleclaw, who looked away guiltily. “You told them about the Dark Forest? They’re not even a moon old!”

“It’s part of the story and I didn’t want them to blame StarClan,” the elder mumbled back. Swiftpath rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the game.

The Gathering had broken up and Bushkit was now standing with Thrushkit, the “dead” kits behind them, facing off against Falconkit, Shalekit, and Yewkit (who had miraculously healed).

“I am Snarl!” Thrushkit said, little claws out. “I am here with Blackstar to take over the Clans! Except that Blackstar was mean to me when I was a kit so I’m going to kill him!” He pawed at Falconkit’s neck, and his brother responded by collapsing and writhing around before falling still.

Shalekit gasped. “All of his nine lives are gone! This is terrible and Snarl is really dangerous! Oh no, there’s more dogs!”

Willowkit and Trailkit made barking noises and chased the “ThunderClan cats” to the stone again. Yewkit led them up the side and jumped off, rolling around dramatically. Falconkit narrated: “she saved us all by jumping into the gorge! Sparksoul and her two kits who live in RiverClan are with her!”

“I love you...” Yewkit murmured, and her siblings howled when she “died.” 

Swiftpath was impressed with her children as they went through the rest of the simplified story, ending with Sparksoul becoming Sparkstar. The rest of the Clan agreed because they broke out into cheers once the kits had finished their performance.

The deputy enjoyed spending the next quarter-moon with her litter, though she watched Heatherpaw make leaps and bounds in her training with frustration. The tortoiseshell was almost beating Fawnpaw in mock battles by the time the Gathering came around. Poolstar had ordered that the borders be watched and marked constantly and that groups of cats outside of camp couldn’t be under three members until the rogues were dealt with, which raised the tension in camp even higher. The anti-outsider group was getting more vocal and loud suggestions that Dapplewhisper and Flamelight had become members of SpireClan or even the rogue group were commonplace. Stonefeather had practically stopped training poor Hazelpaw, and Shadeclaw had taken on the responsibility. 

Gophershadow ruled that Swiftpath was well enough to go to the Gathering, so the deputy led the way on the full moon. She was interested to hear what the other Clans had to say about the rogues. 


	16. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another Gathering.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: mentions of death and grief

**Chapter 13**

_Flamelight_

A quarter moon passed by quickly. Flamelight kept busy healing the injured cats while Dapplewhisper threw herself into rebuilding the camp. The apprentices’ and warriors’ dens were secure if roughly patched and the thorn wall was halfway done. Foxstar had come up with the idea to use sharp stones and briars to make it even stronger, which made the job easier than just using the old thorns. 

Flamelight was working tirelessly to heal the wounded cats and earning herself respect for it. Rockfall had elected to move to the elders’ den because of her injuries, but elected to help Hawkfeather as a sort of apprentice until the worst was over.

“You’re doing a great job,” she told Flamelight a few days before the Gathering, “but you can’t stay forever. Besides, my daughter Shaleheart- who died during the epidemic- was a medicine cat and told me all about herbs and such.”

“I’m sorry about your daughter,” Flamelight responded somewhat lamely. Rockfall shrugged.

“I still have two- well, one son left. Barrenwing, Stormfoot, and Shaleheart were born in the same litter.”

“That makes me feel worse!” Exclaimed Flamelight. Barrenwing’s wounds had become infected despite Hawkfeather’s efforts and he had passed away soon after the battle. 

“You weren’t responsible for Barrenwing’s death, and neither was Hawkfeather. The horrible she-cat that wounded him did.” Rockfall’s lips curved into a snarl at the mention.

Flamelight sighed. “Her name is Shell. My brother Vine is part of her group- I had to stop him from attacking Jetpaw- and I still think that something’s wrong there. Why leave random loners in Twolegplace alone for moons then attack a Clan?”

Rockfall shrugged. “I don’t know. Be careful with who you reveal your lineage to. I would suggest not telling Stormfoot.”

“He already blames me for Barrenwing,” Flamelight agreed. “Honestly, it’s getting ridiculous. He won’t even let me _look at_ his kits! Quailfur’s fine with it, of course, but still.”

Quailfur and Stormfoot had split up only days before because of the dark gray tabby’s actions towards Flamelight and the kits were firmly on their mother’s side, making him even more furious. He’d even tried to ambush the yellow tabby on her way to Dirtplace the night before, forcing Dapplewhisper to stop him. Barrenwing’s other family had reacted with grief; Sharpheart was wandering around in a daze while Sheerpelt went about her duties (light because of the concussion) in a dejected state. Hawkfeather blamed himself for letting the former deputy die and was working so hard that he had to be reminded to drink, eat, and sleep several times a day.

Quailfur’s litter were constantly bounding around, either brighening cats’ mood or getting in their way. Cloudkit spent most of his time watching Hawkfeather and Flamelight in the medicine den. Foxstar was thrilled when he heard that and told the kit that he could be Hawkfeather’s apprentice, making the little tom very happy. Flamelight thought that it was good timing and was relieved that her help wouldn’t be as necessary.

Dapplewhisper loved being able to really help SpireClan but was eager to get back to LeafClan, a sentiment that Flamelight shared more out of worry than longing for a home. She guessed that she could fit into and join SpireClan if she had to but didn’t particularly want to. She would follow her new mate anywhere, she thought. 

Foxstar called SpireClan together the day of the Gathering. “Tonight, our LeafClan visitors will be leaving us. Dapplewhisper has been a huge help in rebuilding the camp and Flamelight has proved to be an adept medicine cat. They need to get home, however, and are not needed anymore. SpireClan is gaining its strength back. They will join Hawkfeather, Lynxfeather, Sharpheart, Palepaw, Gustwhisker, Dustfur, Rockfall, Pounceflight and I to the Gathering.”

Most of the goodbyes were easy; Flamelight had made sure to not get too attached to any cat. She did have a nice moment with Hawkfeather, who thanked her profusely for all of her help. It had been an interesting learning experience and she told him so. Stormfoot, Wingpelt, and Songpool stayed well away, which was just fine with Flamelight. Dapplewhisper, however, was a more social cat and found saying goodbye much harder.

“I wish that we could still be friends,” Quailfur murmured. “It’s just not possible, even in these more relaxed times.”

“We can still catch up at Gatherings,” Dapplewhisper said, fighting back emotion. “Just not share information.”

“Dapple!” Galekit ran up. He had to shorten names because of his twisted jaw, which he had been born with and was working on talking clearly with. “Why are you leaving?”

“Please don’t go!” Wrenkit begged. She and Cloudkit were standing with their brother now. “Is it because you don’t like us?”

“Oh, no!” Dapplewhisper gasped. “It’s because I need to go home, where my family is. Where I was born.”

“Flamelight is your family, and she’s here,” Cloudkit pointed out.

“She’s coming with me!” Dapplewhisper told him. “She’s portable family.”

“I’ll be sad if you leave,” Galekit pouted, beginning to cry. “I don’t like being sad.”

“Neither do I. But you belong here and we belong in LeafClan,” Dapplewhisper said gently. The three kits stayed with her until the patrol left for camp, and their saddened cries rang in the tortoiseshell’s ears. Flamelight came up beside her, frowning sympathetically. 

“Hard to leave them, huh?”

“They’re so good at guilt trips!” Dapplewhisper groaned. “Yewkit and Thrushkit are better, though. I’m looking forward to seeing those little scraps of fur again.” 

Flamelight spotted Patchleap right away in the LeafClan patrol at the Gathering. She ran up and greeted him, noticing the palpable tension as she did so. “Hi! What’s been going on?”

“You two stayed away too long,” Patchleap hissed. “The anti-outsider group has only grown and they’re spreading rumors that you’ve defected to SpireClan and told them all of our secrets.”

“What? If anything, we know all of their secrets.Very injured cats talk a lot. We were only there for a quarter moon!”

“I’m not saying it’s true or reasonable, it’s just what cats have been saying,” Patchleap responded. Then, Branchstar shouted and the Gathering began. Flamelight was aware of cats watching her and turned to see Birdwing and Stonefeather glaring at her. She rolled her eyes and turned away, noticing that a clearly wounded Swiftpath took a while to get up to her usual perch. 

“I will begin. StreamClan has been doing well this moon despite a loss. One of our elders, Otterclaw, was taken by an owl.” Sad murmurs came from the crowd at that. “In happier news, Lightice passed his warrior ceremony with flying colors and is now a warrior.”

“Lightice! Lightice!” The biggest cheer came from StreamClan, but the other Clans made a good amount of noise as well. 

“That is all I have. Branchstar, do you want to go next?” Mothstar gestured for the only female leader to speak.

“Thank you, Mothstar. I am thrilled to announce that Nightwhisper has given birth to my kits, Daisykit and Sorrelkit, both female. Wrenpaw, Opalpaw, and Smallpaw will be warriors by the next Gathering. A border patrol scented rogues near our border with SpireClan, but we had no trouble from them. Who would like to go next?”

“I can,” Poolstar said easily. “LeafClan has been doing well. We have four new apprentices, Featherpaw, Hazelpaw, Wildpaw, and Streampaw, and two former loners have earned their warrior names; Patchleap and Flamelight.”

Flamelight winced as only a few LeafClan cats (Dapplewhisper, Shadeclaw, Gophershadow, Hailpaw, and Swiftpath) cheered. The biggest noise for her name came from SpireClan and the apprentices got a general cheer from the other Clans. 

Poolstar spoke once the noise had died down. “Kitesnarl has moved to the nursery. We also scented rogues, and fought them out of SpireClan’s camp. Our warriors were somewhat injured but we suffered no losses.”

“He and Foxstar must have discussed this beforehand,” Patchleap guessed in a low hiss, and Flamelight nodded in agreement. The tom didn’t seem offended at the mention of his Clan and transitioned to his report smoothly.

“A group of rogues attacked our camp a quarter-moon ago. One of our new apprentices, Palepaw, went to get help and returned with a LeafClan patrol. They helped fight the rogues off but we did lose quite a few cats. Jewelflower, Eagletalon, Berryfeather, Rushclaw, and Puddlefoot were killed in the battle and Barrenwing died of his wounds after. Take this as a warning about the rogues.”

Gasps and shocked murmurs broke out. “I am very sorry to hear that, Foxstar. TreeClan sends its condolences.”

“StreamClan as well,” Mothstar added. “I assume that is why Swiftpath is injured and Lynxfeather is in the deputy’s position?”

“Thanks for that,” Swiftpath grumbled, making those that heard her laugh. 

“Yes, Lynxfeather is the new deputy,” Foxstar confirmed. “Palepaw and Jetpaw are now apprentices.”

“Lynxfeather! Palepaw! Jetpaw!” The cheering was slightly muted but heartfelt this time. 

The Gathering ended on a tragic note and Flamelight returned to LeafClan feeling nervous about the future. How could she prove her loyalty to the anti-outsider group? Which Clan would the rogues attack next?


	17. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Clan faces off, them Swiftpath bonds with Heatherpaw. 
> 
> I don’t like the first part of this chapter, but at least I got it out.

**Chapter 14**

_Swiftpath_

Swiftpath’s side injury was really hurting her by the end of the walk back to camp, and she was half-leaning on Skyclaw for support. It was frustrating to not be able to fully grieve Barrenwing and the other SpireClan cats, but all she wanted to do was curl up and sleep in her nest. However, that wasn’t going to happen, because a situation developed as soon as the Gathering patrol stepped foot into camp.

Fireshade, Kitesnarl, and Spiderwing stood in the middle of the clearing. “Are the traitors here?” The ginger tom called. Dapplewhisper sighed and stepped forward, Flamelight behind her.

“We aren’t traitors, but yes, we’re back.”

Sides were chosen quickly; Skyclaw, Vinesplash, Budstream, Iceshine, Ferretleap, Longheart, and Nativeflight stood behind Dapplewhisper and Flamelight as well as the other Twolegplace cats, who were all awake. That left Birdhowl, Stonefeather, Archfeather, Treepaw, Spritepaw, and the other elders on Fireshade and Kitesnarl’s side. Swiftpath remained solidly in the middle along with the medicine cats and a confused Poolstar. Gorsepelt was trying to keep the kits from leaving the nursery, if the squeaked protests from that direction were any indication. 

“What’s going on?” Poolstar demanded. “Dapplewhisper and Flamelight are not traitors, and you all know it. They simply wanted to help another Clan.”

“Sure,” Spiderwing sneered. “That’s what they want us to think! I bet they spilled all of our secrets to Foxstar.”

“Quite the opposite, actually. Foxstar allowed us to see every part of his Clan, and we know their weaknesses now,” Flamelight pointed out. 

“Hang on. Why are you not on the outsiders’side, Swiftpath?” Kitesnarl asked, sounding actually curious.

“As the deputy, I need to stay above Clan politics,” the pale senior warrior replied.

“You have an outsider apprentice!” Archfeather protested. 

“So do you. And unlike Stonefeather, you’ve been doing a fine job training Wildpaw,” Swiftpath shot back. 

“Well, the apprentices are fine,” Archfeather mumbled defensively. 

“I thought this was about us being traitors. What does Swiftpath have to do with any of this?” Dapplewhisper asked.

“What is going on? Why is my Clan split up like this? I thought that you all had welcomed the Twolegplace cats as part of LeafClan.”

“Were you really so naive to expect that?” Birdsong wondered at his leader. “That makes sense, actually. I wondered why Swiftpath was the one trying to make peace this entire time.”

“I’m confused,” Heatherpaw said. “Gophershadow, you’ve never been nice to me. Hailpaw’s been outright cruel. What are you two doing in the middle?”

“We’re medicine cats. I personally don’t approve of Poolstar’s choice to bring newcomers here, but I will treat any cat that needs it.” Gophershadow looked at Poolstar with slight disgust as Hailpaw nodded in agreement with her mentor’s words. “And I will follow my leader, no matter how big a fool he is.”

“I want to know why you think that we’re traitors. I understand your anti-outsider sentiment a little more, but I’m lost on why us helping a Clan in need is a betrayal,” Flamelight said, trying to refocus the conversation.

“It’s not about that. I would probably have helped them too,” Kitesnarl admitted. “I have an issue with you even being in that position- a member of a Clan, Flamelight. More mouths to feed, especially with my litter and the seven other kits, could overwhelm us in Leafbare. Besides, how do we know that Flamelight hasn’t visited her rogue brother?”

Gasps rang out around the camp, but Flamelight stayed calm. “Because if I had, I would have picked up that he was acting odd and warned Poolstar that something was off. How do you even know about Vine?”

“You talked about your family with me in the middle of the warriors’ den,” Dapplewhisper told her mate. “Fireshade was there and told Kitesnarl.”

“I trust Sunfur and Darkwing’s kits, because they’re so young. I just have a bad feeling about the rest of them. Chatterpaw was unfit for Clan life, and he was let in.” Kitesnarl didn’t care when Fawnpaw ducked her head in grief at the reminder.

“Chatterpaw made the right choice and left,” Swiftpath pointed out.

Fireshade looked unhappy with the way the scene was going, his tail lashing back and forth and his eyes blazing. “Stop trying to be reasonable, you cowardly rogue!”

Nativeflight snarled. “She has been a warrior far longer than you’ve been alive, kit! You take that back!”

Skyclaw had lunged forward at her brother’s words, only to be blocked by Swiftpath. “Dear, it’s all right. I really don’t mind.”

Poolstar seemed to be having a crisis and was totally unresponsive. Swiftpath turned on him, her frustration spilling out. “Come on! _You’re_ supposed to be the leader. I’m a socially anxious senior warrior. Take control of your Clan, Poolstar!” 

“Okay. It seems like there isn’t an issue here, so I’m going to bed,” Flamelight announced. As soon as she moved, Fireshade leapt at her, pinning her to the ground. Kitesnarl snapped at her mate, running over and trying to pull him off of the yellow tabby. Skyclaw managed to separate the ruffled Flamelight and the furious Fireshade. 

“This is ridiculous. Fireshade, you’ll be collecting moss for two moons. Every cat, go to sleep.” Swiftpath hissed in pain when her side throbbed. Gophershadow sighed and approached the deputy as the rest of the Clan broke up, sending tense glances at each other. 

“I need to see if your wound has reopened. Come on,” the medicine cat ordered. He led the deputy to his den and told her to lie down. His firm nose on the still-fresh wound made her hiss in pain. “It’s still fine, but you still need to rest. No fighting or hunting for another quarter-moon.”

Swiftpath nodded reluctantly and limped to her nest, where an exhausted Skyclaw waited for her. They overslept the next morning and were woken by Fawnpaw’s expectant paw.

“Skyclaw... you said that I had a hunting assessment today?” The she-cat asked. Skyclaw sucked her breath in. 

“Yes I did! Sorry for sleeping in. Let’s head out, if you’re ready.” She sent a final look at her mate, who waved her away and got to her feet slightly clumsily. 

“Sorry, Stonefeather,” Swiftpath said as she accidentally stepped on the she-cat’s tail.

“It’s fine. Hey- I’ve decided to train Hazelpaw. I don’t approve of Twolegplace cats but she’s young and blameless in this situation.”

Swiftpath nodded. “Good! You two can come with Heatherpaw and I to battle train today. I’ll need you to show off the moves, since I can’t with my injury. Ferretleap and Streampaw will join us as well.”

As the training patrol gathered, Swiftpath noted that the tension in camp had gone down a bit. The anti-outsider cats with the exception of Fireshade had legitimate concerns and should get the chance to talk it out. An idea came to her, and she decided to quickly talk to Poolstar, who was taking a mouse off the prey pile. 

“Hi! I’m about to head out, but I just had an idea. Since there are set sides, how about we schedule conversations where each side can explain themselves? The medicine cats and you and I can lead them.”

“That’s a great idea, Swiftpath. I’ll announce it tonight,” Poolstar said. “I’ll try to notice trouble in the Clan from now on. I guess... I don’t know what was going on with me.”

The deputy inclined her head. “I’ve certainly had times where I could only focus on myself. What matters now is what you do to fix the divide.” She had to go then, because the patrol was already halfway out of the camp. Hunting and border patrols tended to create themselves on days like today, when Swiftpath overslept- which were happening much to often for her liking.

Skyclaw had done a fine job teaching Heatherpaw the basics of fighting. The young she-cat was ahead of her siblings, though not by much. Swiftpath talked through how to give an enemy a concussion while Streampaw and Hazelpaw focused on leaps. 

“So. The first way is?” The deputy quizzed her apprentice. 

“Hazelpaw! Come over here. I need you to be an evil warrior,” Heatherpaw called to the orange tabby, who came right over and was caught totally by surprise when her sister pinned her firmly to the ground. “Great! So, she’s pinned. I’m forcing her back paws apart so she can’t claw my stomach and using a sheathed-claw front paw to hit her head, usually against something hard. But I won’t right now. Thanks, Hazelpaw!”

“Stop using me as your practice dummy! It’s annoying and show-offy.” Hazelpaw huffed away, leaving Heatherpaw with a hurt look in her yellow eyes.

“Sister trouble?” Swiftpath twitched her tail sympathetically at the apprentice.

“We used to be so close. Up until our apprentice ceremony! She started pulling away when I got you as a mentor, and she’s been more and more distance since training really began.”

“I think that I know what’s going on. Your sister, while she’s learning normally, feels jealous that you’re doing better than her and have the deputy as a mentor. I remember that I was so jealous when my foster sister, Beeheart, got the deputy. Never mind that I was moons away from becoming an apprentice and Cinderstar- Cinderstep then- ended up training me after my first mentor died in a battle.”

“You were mentored by Cinderstar? She was a great warrior, Appleclaw says,” Heatherpaw said eagerly.

Swiftpath purred. “Only for about a half-moon. Swoopwing, my former mentor, died very late in my training. But yes, she was a great warrior and a better cat. I take my leadership style from her.” The light brown she-cat was lost in memories for a moment before refocusing on Heatherpaw. “Anyway, I think that you can fix your relationship with Hazelpaw. Maybe start with not loudly announcing how great you are at fighting or randomly using her as a practice dummy?”

Heatherpaw flicked her tail. “That sounds reasonable. So, what move am I learning next?”


	18. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flamelight has a nightmare and an actually civil conversation happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: depictions of serious injury, character death, blood, very mild gore, grief

**Chapter 15**

_ Flamelight _

_ Three cats hurtled along the abandoned street, sprinting hard, the sound of dogs barking ringing in their ears. One, a pale gray tabby, was lagging behind because of his heavier frame and scratch on his paw. The two she-cats, a pale yellow tabby with long, smooth fur and a bengal with unusual ginger-ringed sports, ran ahead, side by side. A pack of five snarling dogs followed them, making a racket that chased any other creature away from the area. _

_ “Let’s go into this alley! There has to be a high place to climb to,” the bengal panted, gesturing with her tail. “Vine, I know you’re hurt, but you  _ have  _ to hurry!” _

_ “I’m doing my best!” Vine grimaced. His run was a three-limbed waddle at this point.  _

_ “There’s windowsills that we can get to the fence from,” the yellow tabby said, glancing worriedly at Vine. “I’ll help you up, brother. Flame, can you get up on your own?” _

_ “Don’t worry about me, Maya,” Flame replied, waving her slim tail. The dogs raced into the alley, charging the cats. Maya heaved Vine onto the first windowsill, then the tom managed to get up to another. His sister joined him. _

_ “Flame! Come on!” Maya hissed. The bengal leapt easily up to the first windowsill and was midleap to the second when a dog clamped its jaws around her back paw. “Flame!” Maya wailed as her mate was pulled down into the pack.  _

_ “Let me go, you mange-pelts! Stop! That hurts! Help!” Flame’s cries along with the sound of her flesh tearing froze Maya and Vine to the spot. Eventually, the dogs tired and bounded away, leaving a bloody mass where Flame had once lay. Vine stared down, horror filling his wide green eyes, as Maya scrambled to her mate’s side. _

_ “No, no....” the loner groaned. Flame let out a low cry from her ruined throat, the remains of her chest moving up and down shallowly. “I can fix this. You’ll be fine.” _

_ “Maya, she won’t be. You can’t heal this,” Vine called down in a strained voice. _

_ “Well- the Clans can! You know the cats that live in the woods? They have healers that can save her!” Maya was grasping at lost hope and she knew it. Flame was fading fast, her wounds many, most of her fur gone along with half of her face, tail, and back legs.  _

_ “The best thing to do now is to put her out of her misery. She’s going through needless pain.” Vine looked so crushed that Maya couldn’t get angry at him. He spoke the truth. _

_ “I know. I- I love you, Flame. I’m so sorry I couldn’t save you.” Sobs shuddered through Maya’s body as she brought her claws down on her mate’s neck.  _

“Flamelight! Please wake up. You’re dreaming, everything’s fine, you’re in the warriors’ den,” a soft voice said. Flamelight jerked awake, looking up into a black and ginger face and water-clear green eyes.  _ It was a nightmare. Real, but a nightmare. _

“Sorry if I woke you,” Flamelight panted. “It was just a nightmare.”

“You didn’t just wake Dapplewhisper,” a sleep-rough voice said. Flamelight looked to see Skyclaw stretching in her nest that she shared with Swiftpath, Budstream curled up on the edge of the nests. “You woke half the den, thrashing around and moaning! Though most of us overslept, so it wasn’t all bad. Seriously, are you all right? Can I help with anything?”

“I got it. Thanks, Skyclaw,” Dapplewhisper said. The dark she-cat left and she turned back to her still-trembling mate. “Were you dreaming about Flame?”

“I relived her death.” Flamelight took a few deep breaths to calm down. “I still feel so guilty about it. If I hadn’t been so focused on helping Vine, she maybe would have lived.”

“Or not. Vine was hurt and she got unlucky.” Dapplewhisper touched her nose to the yellow tabby’s head. “I would love to continue this conversation, but we have to talk with anti-outsider cats soon. It’s almost sunhigh.”

“What?” Flamelight scrambled to her paws. “How did we sleep so late?”

“The night patrol does that to you,” Budstream grumbled from the other side of the den. “Do you remember that we were all on it just hours ago? Now leave if you’re going to be all loud.”

The mates purred with laughter before slipping out to let Budstream rest. Patchleap, Darkwing, and Sunfur were just returning from a hunting patrol (the toms had taken it on themselves to teach the queen basic hunting and fighting) and walked right over to Dapplewhisper and Flamelight. 

“When do we have the conversation?” Sunfur asked through a squirrel. 

“An hour,” Dapplewhisper replied. “We’ll be talking with Appleclaw, Fatetail, Jayheart, Kitesnarl, and Birdhowl.

“That’s awkward. I’m going to take prey to them right now,” Darkwing said, wrinkling his nose.

An hour later, ten cats faced each other in the shade that Poolstar’s den provided. Swiftpath stood in the middle to mediate (also Willowkit, who had been following the deputy around for days). 

“I’ll start.” Fatetail sat slightly awkwardly; the balance that she had fought hard for as an apprentice was worsening as she aged. “When the Twolegplace cats first came here, I was willing to accept them. But I was very hurt by Fawnpaw and Chatterpaw’s words and it’s hard to get past. I also don’t trust the older loners’ loyalties. What proof is there that you, Flamelight, aren’t meeting with your brother and giving him information on the Clans?”

Flamelight dipped her head. “I can only give you my word. I usually meet Vine every moon but stopped when I joined LeafClan.”

“That’s not quite enough. And before you speak up, Dapplewhisper, consider that you’re mates,” Appleclaw rasped. Dapplewhisper’s tail twitched angrily, bus she didn’t say anything

“Separately from Flamelight, I’m concerned about your usefulness to the Clan,” Kitesnarl said to Sunfur. “Your kits can be taught and trained, but you’re a grown cat. Queens can protect themselves and hunt, even if they’re mostly in the nursery helping others take care of kits. I do appreciate your help with the current litter. Annoying little brats.” Willowkit looked up from where she was making shapes in the dirt and squeaked in protest.

“We’re not brats, you’re just mean!”

Swiftpath gave the expectant queen a sharp look. “If you don’t like kits, Kitesnarl, then why did you agree to have them?”

Kitesnarl sighed. “Fireshade wants a big family, and I won’t mind my own kits.”

“Can I reply to her now?” Sunfur asked, amused.

“Yes, of course, Sunfur. Sorry for getting off-topic.” Swiftpath gestured for the patched she-cat to speak. 

“I’ve been trying to learn those skills. In fact, I just went on a hunting patrol and caught a squirrel- well, Darkwing helped. Anyway, I want to pull my own weight and will learn to fight so that I can defend the nursery and my kits.” Sunfur nodded, her speech done. 

Kitesnarl seemed torn. “I’ll... consider that.”

Birdhowl spoke before Swiftpath could. “Me, I’m less concerned about cats like Darkwing and Sunfur than Patchleap and Flamelight. I don’t trust that you aren’t involved with the rogues, especially Flamelight. That goes for Shadeclaw and Wolfwind as well.”

“I can’t speak for Shadeclaw and Wolfwind, but I’ve always tried to avoid the rogues. I wanted to be part of a group, but not them. The leader, Shell, is my sister’s daughter, and we don’t get along. It’s really a complicated story , but basically, Shell blames me for Ruby’s death. So we just stay away from each other. I wanted to join a Clan for moons before this but was always chased away.” Patchleap flinched when he got immediate reactions.

“Oh, great. So you being here makes the camp a target,” Appleclaw snapped. 

“Why didn’t you just leave the area? How could you put us all in danger like that?” Kitesnarl hissed. 

“Let’s keep it civil.” Swiftpath’s smooth tone cut through the tension. “Patchleap, do you want to explain yourself?”

“I- I just wanted to be part of a group. I don’t do well on my own and really like it here. I’ll leave if my being here puts cats in danger, but I don’t want to.” Patchleap’s fur was up in agitation and his eyes were wide. He was creating a little crease in the ground with his lashing tail.

“That will be a conversation with Poolstar,” Swiftpath told him. “Now, Flamelight, do you want to respond?”

“Yes. So, there’s been a lot of talk about my brother being a rogue. Maybe telling you why he joined will help. Moons ago, he and I were traveling with another she-cat. Her Twolegs that she ran away from called her Gertrude-“ snorts rang out, and Flamelight shook her head in disbelief. “-horrible, I know. She called herself Flame. We were all together, just kind of existing, when we ran afoul of a pack of dogs. Vine had gotten hurt a few days before and was struggling, so when we got to an alley where we could get to a safe, high place, I helped him. We got up to safety but Flame had waited, and the- the dogs got her. Killed her.” Dapplewhisper ran a tail along her mate;s side as the yellow tabby paused, the nightmare coming back in full force. “A-after that, Vine joined the rogues because he wanted more protection. I didn’t want to join because I like to be alone in grief, and honestly enjoy solitude. I am adjusting to a group now and don’t have any lingering loyalty to the rogues other than my concern for Vine’s well-being. I will say that they have never just attacked a big group of cats with that ferocity before, or even shown signs of it.”

The conversation was sobered by Flamelight’s story, but continued as Jayheart shared his feeling of being overwhelmed by the changes that the Twolegplace cats brought. He actually bonded with them on that count, and it ended amicably. Appleclaw approached Flamelight to say that her old mate Grayflare had also been killed by dogs and to talk to her if she needed emotional support on that count.

That night, Dapplewhisper and Flamelight lay together after having cleaned up from that morning. “That was actually fine,” the tortoiseshell said, rolled over on her back. “Every cat was respectful and brought up good points. I don’t think any minds were totally changed, but it’s a beginning.”

“Yeah,” Flamelight agreed. “It actually feels good to talk about my past. The acceptance in who I love and sympathy from even cranky elders. It’s been a good day.”


	19. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heatherpaw trains and Kitesnarl goes into labor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: childbirth, blood, child death, character death, depictions of grief

**Chapter 16**

_ Swiftpath _

Swiftpath was contented when the tension in camp went down over the next moons. The two sides began to understand each other and the Twolegplace cats began to be accepted. Fireshade was as prickly as ever, but Stonefeather was fully dedicated to training Hazelpaw. Archfeather actually got along well with Wildpaw, who put a lot of effort into training and caught up to Heatherpaw. The tortoiseshell apprentice was one of the most talented and intelligent young cats Swiftpath had ever seen, and she was perfectly suited to LeafClan skills. Fawnpaw, meanwhile, was almost ready to be a warrior, her fitness catching up with her technical skills. Skyclaw was proud of the pale apprentice.

Today, Swiftpath, Stonefeather, and Ferretleap were giving their apprentices a hunting assessment, following them closely and watching out for rogues. The deputy’s injury had healed well enough for her to run, hunt, and fight somewhat normally, though she still wasn’t allowed to go on patrols. She was stalking Heatherpaw as the apprentice crept through the part of the forest nearest to the StreamClan border. Birds loved the thick, low-hanging trees, as did squirrels.

Heatherpaw looked around carefully, focusing in on a thrush on a nearby branch. The young she-cat prepared to leap before springing up onto the branch, catching the bird but causing the others around it to fly off in fear. A baby bird squeaked in a nest and Heatherpaw turned towards it, a predatory look in her eyes. Swiftpath leaped out of the bushes, calling up to her apprentice.

“Heatherpaw! Leave the nest alone. Give those birds a chance to grow. Come on down.”

“That was good, wasn’t it? I’ve been getting better at leaping,” Heatherpaw said happily after dropping the thrush at her feet.

“Yes, you have. However, how could that have gone better?” Swiftpath noted with pride that the tortoiseshell looked the thoughtful at her mentor’s words, not offended. 

“I... I could have chosen a better place to get a bird, because now they’re scared away during feeding time. Also, I was pretty loud and the bird squaked as it died, alerting other prey to danger.” 

“Good! And your landing was a little clumsy, but that’s an issue of practice. You did well! We’ll head back now. Let’s see if you can identify where you buried the other prey as we go.” 

Heatherpaw found her squirrel and mouse because she had put little twigs into where they were buried, a tactic that Swiftpath had taught her. The two cats met up with Ferretleap and Streampaw, who had two squirrels hanging from his mouth, at the training hollow.

“Streampaw did well. He didn’t catch a bird, but we’ll have to work on that,” Ferretleap said. Streampaw was heavily built yet didn’t have the back leg strength required for leaps into trees, though oddly enough, he was just fine at catching squirrels. He overpowered all of his siblings but Heatherpaw in fight training. 

“Where are Stonefeather and Hazelpaw?” Swiftpath asked. The two she-cats appeared from the woods moments later. Stonefeather was speaking quietly to a frustrated-looking, empty-mouthed Hazelpaw.

Hazelpaw noticed Heatherpaw’s three bits of prey and curled her lip. “Happy with your hunt, Cheaterpaw? I bet it was you who scared off all of my prey.”

“We were on opposite sides of the forest!” Heatherpaw protested. “Come on, Hazelpaw, why are you being so mean to me?”

“Because you’re an annoying cheater,” Hazelpaw growled back. The sisters sniped at each other on the walk back to camp. Ferretleap carried the prey while Swiftpath and Stonefeather hung back to talk.

“I don’t know what to do,” Stonefeather sighed. “She didn’t miss that much training early on, and she understands the concepts. She just won’t try hard, which is what gives her siblings an edge over her. Whenever she doesn’t do well, she gets demoralized and won’t continue working at the skill. How do I get her to work harder?”

Swiftpeather was honored that the she-cat was choosing to talk to her about it but honestly didn’t know the answer. “I’m not sure. Have you tried encouragement? Tough love? Positive reinforcement?”

“All of that. It’s not working.” Stonefeather shook her head. “Maybe I’ll talk to Sunfur and Darkwing. Knowing how she was raised might help me understand.”

“Featherpaw!” Streampaw exclaimed. Swiftpath looked to see the white tom racing towards her, blue eyes wide with alarm. He signed rapidly, a mix of words.

Swiftpath brought her tail across her body slowly, then dropped her right forepaw from a high position to sign  _ slow down _ . Featherpaw took a moment to catch his breath before clawing at the air and waving his paw in a dripping motion-  _ blood _ . Then he flapped his tail, signing  _ bird _ , combining it with a snarl. Then he made a light hopping movement. 

Hazelpaw understood first. “Kitesnarl is kitting and she’s bleeding!”

Stonefeather gasped, her eyes widening in shock. “But she’s not due for a half-moon!”

“Ferretleap, take Streampaw, Heatherpaw, and Hazelpaw back to camp. Stonefeather and I will help Kitesnarl. One of you, get Gophershadow and Fireshade, and alert Poolstar.” Swiftpath went into deputy mode, her fur rising in alarm and tail lashing, blue eyes hard. She jerked a paw forward at Featherpaw.  _ Lead the way _ .

Featherpaw sprinted hard through the forest, leaving Swiftpath panting behind him, her side burning. The deputy chose to ignore her injury and push ahead as a scream reached her ears. Kitesnarl lay by the roots of a large tree, with Longheart pushing all the moss she could find under her and trying her best to soothe the queen. 

“Kitesnarl!” Stonefeather slid to a halt by her friend. “Why did you decide to leave camp?”

“I’m not due for half—  _ aah  _ — a moon!” Kitesnarl managed through a contraction that added to the pool of blood that was growing around her. 

_ Take him back to camp, _ Swiftpath signed at Longheart.  _ He can’t be alone in the woods but he shouldn’t see this. Thank you for helping.  _ The two had developed a fluency with each other during the epidemic and could communicate with looks at this point. Longheart nodded and signaled for a worried Featherpaw to come with her as she bounded away. 

Kitesnarl wailed again. Stonefeather took control, ordering Swiftpath to get a stick. The deputy talked at the weakening queen, trying to keep her conscious.

“Do you remember your first day as an apprentice? It hadn’t been too long since I had trained Archfeather, but I was still so excited. You were a sneaky little kit, too, always sneaking out of camp and finding ways past Appleclaw. You were so eager to see the territory, nearly ran me to the ground on the tour. Your energy is always something I’ve admired, Kitesnarl.”

“Even if I use it to snark at your kits?” Kitesnarl asked, then wailed again. 

“A kit’s coming,” Stonefeather said. “You have to push, Kitesnarl.”

The orange queen groaned as a mass of blood and a tiny kit slipped out. Stonefeather broke the sac and desperately licked the kit’s fur to get it breathing. She was rewarded with a weak mewl a moment later. “That’s so good. It’s a tom, Kitesnarl!”

Kitesnarl purred, but then coughed. Poolstar, Fireshade, and Gophershadow arrived, bursting out of the woods. Fireshade pushed Swiftpath out of the way, staring down at his mate with desperation and love. Gophershadow took Stonefeather’s place.

“She’s not going to make it, is she?” Swiftpath asked quietly. “That’s so much blood.”

“Gorsepelt bled half as much with seven kits, and Kitesnarl’s only had one. There’s at least two more to come, all small and probably weak.” Stonefeather’s ears were down and her voice gravelly with grief. “Yeah. She’s going to die.”

“Are you sure?” Poolstar demanded. “Absolutely sure?”

“Another!” Gophershadow called. The medicine cat licked at the kit for a full minute, but it made no sound. The kit was stillborn.

“What- where’s my kit? Is he alive?” Kitesnarl demanded weakly. 

“Yes, our son is fine, healthy,” Fireshade lied, running his now-bloodstained tail along his mate’s side. 

“Good.” Kitesnarl put her head back down, eyes fluttering shut. 

Another kit came a few minutes later, this one alive, but Kitesnarl was gone before her daughter was breathing. Fireshade’s heartbroken wails pierced the air, and the others sat in silence. Eventually, Swiftpath approached the bloodstained family. “Fireshade? Are you going to name them?”

“Y-yeah. The first tom is Blazekit, for his red fur,” the tom croaked. “And the second- he’s a little copy of Kitesnarl. His name is Nettlekit. My- my daughter is a brown tabby. Her name is Fernkit.”

A dark cloud seemed to settle over the patrol as they walked slowly back to camp. Poolstar was carrying Kitesnarl’s body on his back, Gophershadow held Blazekit, Stonefeather had Fernkit, and Nettlekit dangled limply from Swiftpath’s mouth. Skyclaw raced out of camp, her pale blue gaze darkening with grief. “Oh, no.”

“She’s gone,” Fireshade said brokenly, and Skyclaw went to support her brother. Nativeflight met his children at the entrance and helped his son to the main clearing.

It seemed that the entire Clan was gathered, murmuring sadly among themselves. Appleclaw walked sadly over to her daughter, Fatetail following, and Archfeather joined them as Poolstar lay out Kitesnarl’s body. Swiftpath lay Nettlekit by his mother’s body. “We should take the others to Gorsepelt. She’s weaning my litter but is still producing milk,” she said softly.

Gorsepelt accepted Blazekit and Fernkit immediately and shooed the other kits out, towards Swiftpath. Gophershadow remained to treat the newborns while Swiftpath led her litter out of the nursery.

“What’s going on, Mama?” Yewkit mewed. “Where’s Kitesnarl and why is Gorsepelt taking care of those two kits?”

Swiftpath looked at her confused kits. Willowkit lay quietly, staring at the crowd around Kitesnarl and Fireshade. “Kitesnarl is dead and those two are her kits,” the mottled kit said.

“Yes, Willowkit. Kitesnarl went into labor too early and died. One of her kits did too, but two are alive,” Swiftpath told her kits. It took a few minutes for them all to understand, but they agreed to play quietly and stay out of the Clan’s way. They would sleep in one of the dens that had been used for sick cats during the epidemic, letting Gorsepelt and Gophershadow take care of Blazekit and Fernkit.

Poolstar led the vigil that night in a choked voice. Swiftpath got the honor of helping a devastated Appleclaw bury Kitesnarl and Nettlekit. As she dug a grave in the soft dirt for her former apprentice, the deputy reflected on their lives

Little Nettlekit had his whole life ahead of him, but it had been stolen away by circumstance. Kitesnarl had been a reckless and headstrong but brilliant warrior, coming up with ingenious battle plans and hunting methods. She was a complex, layered cat, a true friend, loyal to a fault to her beloved LeafClan. She had loved Fireshade with passion and tempered him, and he had been so dedicated to her. Her loss was a hard one that the entire Clan would feel.


	20. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Conversations on grief and another Gathering.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: mention of child death, character death, depictions of grief

**Chapter 17**

_ Flamelight _

A pallor of grief hung over the camp the next morning. Blazekit and Fernkit were alive but much too small and extremely weak. Gophershadow stayed in the nursery all night with them. Fireshade hovered by the nursery entrance, trying to see what was going on. He asked the same questions over and over again, eventually getting snapped at by the exhausted medicine cat. Gophershadow stalked past the bristling ginger tom, looking around at the gathered Clan.

“Is there a dawn patrol going out? The sun is up,” he said shortly. “Yesterday’s events don’t give us an excuse to slack off on our duties.”

“Budstream, Iceshine, Darkwing, and Treepaw left an hour ago,” Swiftpath said from the base of Callrock. “Do you have news on Blazekit and Fernkit?”

“Yes, I do. They will live with care, and strengthen with time. They will most likely have health issues with how early they were born. Now, I’m going to sleep. Ask my apprentice if any of you have questions.”

Fireshade returned to the mouth of the nursery, where Gorsepelt’s gray eyes blinked at him out of the darkness. “Fireshade, you heard Gophershadow. Blazekit and Fernkit need to rest. Please leave us alone for at least a few minutes. Maybe get some sleep?”

“She’s right. Come on, Fireshade,” Skyclaw told her brother gently. “At least step away from the nursery.”

“No! No, they- they need me.” Fireshade’s amber orbs were bleary with exhaustion, and he was swaying on his paws.

“I’ll tell you a story about Kitesnarl as a kit if you go to your nest,” Appleclaw called. The elder was clearly grieving for her daughter but seemed more stable than the warrior. Fireshade nodded and stumbled to the warriors’ den. Flamelight moved smoothly out of his way. She had slept poorly, dreaming about Flame, and sympathized with the temperamental tom’s pain.

However, he had never been even slightly welcoming towards her and probably wouldn’t appreciate her trying to help so soon after losing Kitesnarl and Nettlekit. 

Dapplewhisper and Flamelight went off to hunt with Vinesplash and Spritepaw. Hunting patrols had doubled in the moons after the Twolegplace cats had arrived and Gorsepelt had given birth to account for numbers. Border patrols had also increased since the rogues’ attack on SpireClan. 

“Grief is so odd,” Dapplewhisper said as they walked. “Cats just have different reactions to it. I remember not even being aware of what was going on during the epidemic, and not really taking it in when Riverkit, Yewkit, and Fallkit died. I barely knew them, it felt like.”

Vinesplash’s white-tipped tail flicked in the air. “I was quite sad, I think. Honestly, that was so long ago, I barely remember it either.”

Flamelight crouched, staring intently at a mouse that was sniffing around the roots of a tree. The former loner pounced, ending the creature’s life with one movement. “I’ve had a few experiences with loss. Three of my siblings died young after our mother left us for Twolegs. I wasn’t close with Sophie and Twig, but I liked Branch. It wasn’t crushing grief, just sadness. You had to move on or you died.” She dug into the soft dirt, covering the mouse for later. 

“That’s terrible!” Spritepaw gasped. “I could never imagine losing Treepaw or Hailpaw.”

“It’s a little different here,” Flamelight said. “There were no medicine cats, and it was easy to get sick in Twolegplace. There, cats like Iceshine, Fatetail, Longheart, and Featherpaw would never be given the chance to excel in the way they have. The epidemic killed a lot of loners and rogues because of the conditions. Here, it’s clean and there’s a support system.”

“I heard from my father-  _ our  _ father- that your mate died. Dogs, Birdhowl said?” Spritepaw’s bluntness made Dapplewhisper hiss and Flamelight laugh. Vinesplash just rolled their eyes.

“Oh, right! You’re all siblings, aren’t you? I’m still learning about who is related to who here,” Flamelight purred. “Yes, my mate was killed by dogs. Her name was Flame. After her death, Vine- my brother- chose to join the rogues and I went off on my own. I wanted to get away from any reminder of her. Which is what I find so fascinating about Fireshade’s reaction; stories about Kitesnarl seem to comfort him.”

“I’ve never had to face death before,” Spritepaw admitted. “I didn’t like Kitesnarl very much, but the way she died was so horrifying and I feel horrible about the kits, especially Nettlekit. He didn’t even get the chance to live his life.”

“It’s a tragedy,” Vinesplash agreed. “I’m no fan of Fireshade- he’s never respected my pronouns- but no cat deserves to lose what he has. I just hope that Fernkit and Blazekit are going to make it.”

“I think that Gophershadow and Hailpaw will save them.” Dapplewhisper hissed as a squirrel skittered away in the trees. “All right, let’s actually hunt.”

That evening was a Gathering. Swiftpath decided that Longheart, Birdhowl, Heatherpaw, Archfeather, Wolfwind, Featherpaw, Flamelight, and Spiderwing would attend along with herself, Gophershadow and Hailpaw, and Poolstar would be attending. Dapplewhisper said that she would guard the camp with Skyclaw and Patchleap. 

Flamelight said goodbye to her mate before racing to catch up with the patrol. Swiftpath was at the back, trying not to let her fatigue show. The golden tabby slowed to walk with the deputy.

“Does your side hurt?”

Swiftpath let out another labored breath. “What gives you that impression? Fight training with Heatherpaw was a little more strenuous than I thought it would be. I’ll be alright.”

Flamelight gave the deputy a look. Swiftpath had been looking ill despite the warm weather lately. She was careful with her health and taking care of her wound, but the bottom line was her age. It would have been best for her to retire instead of accepting Heatherpaw as an apprentice. There were mentors available for the tortoiseshell and Swiftpath was clearly struggling to keep up with her energy. In contrast, Longheart was managing Featherpaw just fine. 

The other three Clans were already there when the LeafClan patrol arrived at Starstones. Flamelight found SpireClan, hoping to see how they were healing. Quailfur greeted her happily with a purr.

“Hi! Are your kits apprentices already?” Flamelight asked the queen.

“No, but Stormfoot offered to take care of them,” Quailfur replied. When the yellow tabby gave her a questioning look, she continued. “We’re getting along better now. Besides, even if he wasn’t my mate, he’s a great father and the kits adore him.”

Flamelight nodded and cast her eyes around the other SpireClan cats. Sheerpelt was there, steady on her feet, and Songpool seemed mostly healed. To her surprise, Rockfall was also there. The rest of the patrol (Sharpheart, Gustwhisker, Jetpaw, and Palepaw) had mostly escaped injury during the battle. 

Quailfur noticed that Flamelight was staring at Rockfall. “Yeah, she retired to the elders’ den and insisted upon coming. She likes causing a stir. She’s feeling good, though.” Conversation ceased when the leaders called for attention. 

Mothstar spoke first, as usual. “StreamClan has little to report. Hollytail has earned her medicine cat name!”

“Hollytail! Hollytail! Hollytail!” The Clans cheered. A ginger she-cat with a fuzzy tail puffed up on the medicine cats’ rock. The loudest call came from a large tortoiseshell tom- Lightice, whose warrior name had been announced at the last Gathering. 

“My only other announcement is that we scented rogues strongly on our border near the Twolegplace. None have been sighted but we remain on high alert.” Mothstar stepped back, gesturing for Foxstar to go next. 

“Thank you! I am happy to report that SpireClan is healing well. Rockfall, after many moons of service, has retired to the elders’ den.”

“Rockfall! Rockfall!” The gray tabby must have been well-liked, because the cheer came from all of the Clans equally as loudly. 

Foxstar purred at the recognition of his Clanmate. “An eagle tried to take Palepaw, but Lynxfeather and Songpool successfully fought it off and she escaped injury. We have had no further trouble with rogues, nor even scented them.”

“That’s great!” Branchstar said. “I’ll go next. My kits are growing fast. Wrenstep, Smallflight, and Opalclaw have earned their warrior names!”

“Wrenstep! Opalclaw! Smallflight!” A tortoiseshell she-cat ducked to avoid the attention while her ginger brother and black sister grew with the cheers.”

“Border patrols have caught the scent of rogues from the direction of StreamClan. Be vigilant, Mothstar,” Branchstar warned the older leader, who dipped his head in understanding. “That is all. Poolstar?”

“I will start with good news. No cat of mine has scented rogues in the last moon.” The blue-gray tom paused and took a breath before speaking again. “I am deeply saddened to report the death of a queen and kit. Kitesnarl went into early labor and unfortunately lost her life, and Nettlekit was stillborn. Her remaining kits, Blazekit and Fernkit, will survive and are being nursed by Gorsepelt.”

Gasps and murmurs of sympathy rang out. “I am very sorry to hear that,” Mothstar said. 

Quailfur turned to Flamelight, eyes wide. “You didn’t tell me that Kitesnarl died!”

“Did you know her?” Flamelight replied. 

“Yes. We were friends, as much as two loyal cats from different Clans can be.” The brown queen looked down. “She was a good cat.”

Flamelight nodded sadly. The mood of the patrol was muted as they returned to camp, and the former loner slept poorly, thinking about death and mortality. 


	21. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The leaders come up with a plan, Swiftpath enjoys time with her kits, and Swiftpath and Fireshade bond.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: mention of death, grief

**Chapter 18**

_ Swiftpath _

“I just don’t understand,” Poolstar said. “Why would a group of rogues attack a Clan? They’ve never done this before.”

“No. Yet they killed my cats,” Foxstar replied tartly. The leaders, medicine cats, and deputies were meeting at Starstones a few days after the Gathering to discuss their shared threats. 

“All of us have spoken to StarClan. They have no explanation.” Whitestep, the oldest medicine cat, dipped his head. “That has never happened before.”

“Maybe the Dark Forest is causing this,” Swiftpath suggested. 

“Or the rogues are just crazy. The one I fought- the young one that killed Jewelflower- had a dangerous look in his eyes.” Lynxfeather twitched her slim tail at the mention of her former apprentice. 

“We should send a patrol to talk with them,” Mothstar said. “Yes, it is dangerous, but it’s worth a shot. Poolstar, you have Twolegplace cats in LeafClan now. Do any of them have connections to the rogues?”

“Flamelight’s brother is a rogue. She fought him, actually, and said that he didn’t seem to care about their familial connection.” Swiftpath shook her head. “I truly believe that something is off with them.”

“We’re agreed there. I am willing to send a few of my cats to the border, as long as this Flamelight is the one to approach the rogues,” Branchstar offered.

“We will have to ask her,” Poolstar replied carefully. “I am all right with the idea, as long as all of you are in.”

The other two leaders agreed and then went off on their own to choose the possible patrols and the medicine cats formed their own little group. That left the deputies to talk among themselves.

“So, Swiftpath, how are the Twolegplace cats fitting in? When the two loners’ warrior names were called, some of your cats didn’t cheer.” Patchclaw seemed legitimately curious, so Swiftpath replied without aggression.

“There was some tension due to Poolstar’s rather abrupt decision, but we’ve managed to work out the issues. Who knew that actual civil conversations make cats understand each other?”

“What a wonder!” Lynxfeather exclaimed sarcastically. “That’s good. Silent breeze, how is Riverkit doing?”

“Wonderful! He’s a little bundle of energy but so cute. He was saddened by Otterclaw’s death, but he’ll recover.”

“It seems that there has been a lot of death lately,” Swiftpath said. “What with the rogue attack and Otterclaw and Kitesnarl.”

“How did that even happen? Kitesnarl seemed like a healthy cat,” Lynxfeather mewed with real sadness, and Swiftpath remembered that the two had been friends. 

“She was. Some she-cats just aren’t built for pregnancy.” The pale brown she-cat shook her head. “But Blazekit and Fernkit will live. Gorsepelt is doing a wonderful job with them, and Fireshade is incredibly protective.”

“Isn’t Gorsepelt your and Skyclaw’s surrogate? Does she have nine kits to take care of now?” Silentbreeze asked. “I find it hard to deal with  _ one  _ kit.”

“Skyclaw and I do most of the work now that the kits are basically weaned. It was our agreement,” Swiftpath said. “Anyway! The leaders appear to have made their decisions.”

Mothstar spoke for the group. “We have our chosen cats, but it depends on what Flamelight is willing to do. Let us know in a week’s time, Poolstar and Swiftpath.”

Once Poolstar, Gophershadow, Hailpaw, and Swiftpath were back in camp, the medicine cats peeled off to check on Blazekit and Fernkit. “Flamelight! Can you come to my den, please?” Poolstar called to the yellow tabby, who looked up from where she was playing with Yewkit, Thrushkit, and Trailkit. 

“What did you need to talk to me about?” Flamelight asked once the three cats were in Poolstar’s den.

Swiftpath explained the situation. “The leaders came together and decided to send a combined patrol to talk with the rogues. They want you to make first contact because of your connection with Vine. You will, of course, have protection and don’t have to if you feel it’s too unsafe.”

Flamelight’s green eyes darkened. “If I can help get explanations, I’ll do it.”

“Great!” Poolstar chirped. “It’ll be at least a week before this happens, so we can make arrangements for your safety. Thank you, that’s all.”

Swiftpath could tell that Flamelight was worried about the prospect but decided to let Dapplewhisper deal with it. She had promised her kits that she would spend time with them while Heatherpaw was helping Fawnpaw with a border patrol assessment (she and two of her siblings would act as an enemy patrol). 

“Mommy! Yay!” Yewkit squeaked as Swiftpath approached. “Blazekit and Fernkit are awake! Gophershadow said that they could leave the nursery now.”

“That’s wonderful. Remember, Blazekit and Fernkit are very small and you need to be gentle.”

“We will, Mommy,” Willowkit promised seriously.

“Stop acting like an adult cat! You’re only two moons old!” Thrushkit snapped at his sister. 

“Would you rather she act like a newborn?” Trailkit shot back.

“Kits! No fighting. You can act however you like,” Swiftpath told Willowkit, who puffed her little striped chest out with pride. Fireshade, fur ruffled from sleeping in the nursery for days, appeared from the nursery with his tiny children, Gorsepelt slipping out for a break after him. The ginger tom nodded at the deputy and directed Fernkit and Blazekit’s attention towards her. 

“That’s Swiftpath. She’s the deputy- Poolstar’s second-in-command- and very nice. She helped bring you into the world.”

Swiftpath crouched, bringing her nose down to the kits’ level. “Hi! How do you like the camp so far?”

Fernkit had Nativeflight’s exact tabby colorings and kit-blue eyes, just like her ginger brother. “It’s really big!” she said.

“That’s what I thought when I first came out of the nursery, but now I know that it’s small,” Yewkit said with an air of wisdom. “The forest is much bigger.”

“The forest?” Blazekit asked, confused. “What’s that?”

“Nothing to worry about now!” Swiftpath cut Falconkit’s openmouthed explanation off with a sharp look. “Yeah, the camp is big. Well, I’ll let you go. It’s nice to meet you two!”

Fireshade led his kits away. Swiftpath watched her children as they slowly broke out of the line, reflecting how much they had grown in just two moons of life. Willowkit’s tail constantly got in her way, and her pelt was developing into a unique brown coat with white spots and splashes. Yewkit had the plainest pelt of the bunch but was the biggest and small ears that defied her size, though she didn’t seem to have any trouble hearing. Bushkit had Gorsepelt’s tabby markings in a gray color, and would be a fast runner when he grew into his long legs. 

Gorsepelt hated dealing with Shalekit’s spiky, brittle fur, but Skyclaw had all the patience in the world for her black-footed daughter. Thrushkit was easily the cutest; his spots were just so precious. The kit-blue eyes that all of the young kits still had stood out on his face because of his dark gray mask that ran down to his chest. Falconkit’s lessons with Fatetail were paying off and he could balance without a tail by then. He had an odd, graceful way of moving, his tabby stripes flowing as he walked or ran. 

Swiftpath spent the afternoon with the kits. They were exhausted by sundown and bumbled off together towards their new den. Skyclaw and Swiftpath took turns sleeping with them and would until Blazekit and Fernkit were healthy enough to handle having seven much bigger kits in the nursery.

Fireshade approached Swiftpath as the sun went down, a vole clamped in his jaws. He dropped the prey to speak. “I need to talk with you. Can we share this prey?”

“Sure.” Swiftpath took a small bite of the plump vole and purred in contentment. “That’s good! What do you want to talk to me about?”

“I wanted to thank you for helping Kitesnarl,” Fireshade said in a soft tone that the normally abrasive tom never used. “And keeping your litter away from Blazekit and Fernkit. I would be fine with some of them, namely Willowkit and Trailkit, being around them, but I don’t trust Yewkit or Bushkit not to play rough.” 

“I loved Kitesnarl too,” Swiftpath replied wistfully. “She was my apprentice, after all, and I’ll always help a queen in need. As for the kits, your concerns are totally reasonable. They don’t mean any harm.”

“I know. Kits never do.” Fireshade seemed so lost and off-kilter. Swiftpath wished that there was some herb he could take to recover, but grief couldn’t be cured so easily. It would take time and hard conversations to heal. Having Fernkit and Blazekit around helped immensely, especially since they were so helpless, more than kits usually were. That gave Fireshade something to focus on and put his energy towards. 

“Well, I’m beat.” Swiftpath stretched and yawned. “How about you come sleep in the warriors’ den tonight? I know that you’re worried about your kits, but Gorsepelt needs her space.”

Fireshade looked torn but had to agree with Swiftpath’s logic. “...you’re right. I should leave her alone at least for a night.” The ginger warrior padded away, followed closely by the deputy. It had been a long day. 


	22. TreeClan, StreamClan Updated Allegiances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> These will be somewhat important for the next chapters.

**TreeClan (Updated)**

Leader: Branchstar- ginger mottled she-cat

Deputy: Patchclaw- black-and-white patched tom with gray eyes

Medicine Cat: Fallpelt- young, beautiful tortoiseshell she-cat

Warriors: Thunderheart- huge golden tom

Wrenstep- tortoiseshell she-cat with small paws

Doeshine- soft-furred pale brown tabby she-cat

Brookfang- black tom with gray paws and tail

Opalclaw- black she-cat

Shinetrail- silvery-gray she-cat with darker underbelly

Timberleap- brown tabby

Yellowburr- pale yellow tabby she-cat with knotted fur

Smallflight- ginger tom

Clawpelt- scarred gray tom

Brightwing- ginger tabby she-cat

Queens: Nightwhisper- black she-cat with gray underbelly and muzzle, mother to Daisykit (gray-striped black she-kit) and Sorrelkit (ginger tabby she-kit)

Elders: Swallowfur- brown tabby tom

Dustwind- brown tom with white tail

Flarespirit- ginger she-cat

  
  


**StreamClan (Updated)**

Leader: Mothstar- senior black tom

Deputy: Silentbreeze- pale gray tabby tom with yellow eyes

Medicine Cat: Whitestep- black tom with white paws, ears, chest, and tail

**Apprentice, Hollytail (ginger she-cat with fuzzy tail)**

Warriors: Fishjump- silver tom

**Apprentice, Minnowpaw (blue-gray she-cat)**

Sleekcall- long-furred mottled gray-and-orange she-cat

Beefoot- striped blue-gray tabby tom

Currentleap- gray cat

Duskfang- black she-cat

Maplewing- red-and-white tabby tom

Shardheart- white tom with gray spots

Adderfeather- brown tabby tom

Softfur- gray she-cat

Smokesong- blue-gray cat 

Justicetail- long-tailed silver tabby she-cat with white paws, underbelly, tail tip, and muzzle

**Apprentice, Tallpaw (blue-gray tom)**

Petalbloom- light gray tom with short tail

Lightice- tortoiseshell tom

Queens: Chestnutclaw- reddish-brown she-cat, mother to Silentbreeze’s kit, Riverkit (reddish-brown tabby tom)

Elders: Brooknose- white tom with gray muzzle and underbelly

Sageclaw- blue-gray she-cat

  
  



	23. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The patrol into Twolegplace.

**Chapter 19**

_ Flamelight _

Flamelight couldn’t sleep. It was the night before she would enter Twolegplace and make contact with the rogues, and nervousness boiled in her stomach. Dapplewhisper had been wonderful about it all week, supporting her and talking it through, and deserved to rest. She was great at calming cats down and making it seem like everything was going to be fine, an ability that Flamelight envied but also enjoyed the fruits of.

But Dapplewhisper needed to rest now, so Flamelight lay quietly, thinking about the next day. At the meeting with the other Clan leaders, deputies, and medicine cats, it had been agreed that one warrior from each Clan would accompany her for safety in numbers. The leaders and deputies would all be there, as well as three warriors from each Clan (except for SpireClan, which was smaller than the others after the rogue attack and would be sending two warriors). Flamelight’s safety was well accounted for, and that wasn’t what made her nervous. Vine had seemed savage and off when she had fought him, and the attack on SpireClan was something she never would have guessed the rogues could pull off. Based on the stories that the elders told of the ancient Clans, they had been quite peaceful up until recently. 

“Flamelight!” Archfeather’s tail poked into the yellow tabby’s side, rousing her from her thoughts. “It’s time to go. Are you ready?”

Flamelight nodded mutely and stood, making sure not to wake Dapplewhisper. She and Archfeathger met up with Poolstar, Swiftpath, Vinesplash, and Birdhowl at the camp entrance. Fireshade was guarding and nodded to the patrol as they slipped away quietly. Vinesplash came up beside Flamelight.

“Are you nervous to see your brother again?”

“He seemed so of the last time I saw him. He’s never been overly violent and wouldn’t usually go along with a plan like attacking a Clan. I hope that this mission can help us find answers,” Flamelight replied. She liked the unassuming black-and-white cat who had always been nice to her and never seemed to judge her for her past. It had taken a bit to get used to the phenomenon of Vinesplash not being a tom or she-cat, but she accepted it. She only mated with she-cats, after all. 

The other patrols were waiting at Starstones. It was dawn now, and the group of Clan cats headed out right away. Flamelight chatted with Gustwhisker until they reached Twolegplace. The buildings loomed large in the early morning light, seeming bigger than they really were. 

“Flamelight, step forward. You will have three companions on this trip. Maplewing from my Clan, Clawpelt of TreeClan, and Songpool of SpireClan. Good luck,” Mothstar told her. Flamelight recognized Songpool; the blue-gray she-cat’s wounds appeared to be mostly healed. Clawpelt was a heavily scarred gray tom and Maplewing was a red-and-white tabby that had the frame of a she-cat. However, he introduced himself as a tom. 

“I was born a she-cat, but I’m a tom,” he explained as the four cats leapt over the fence. He and Flamelight did most of the talking. Songpool had never been friendly and Clawpelt eyed the former loner with distrust. Both cats followed her directions without argument, though. 

“So, you’ve been scenting the rogues around your borders?” Flamelight asked Maplewing after a few minutes of travel through decrepit buildings and dirty puddles- it had rained the night before. The bright tabby nodded, a worried look entering his dark blue eyes.

“Yeah. We haven’t seen any, but I’m concerned that they’re going to attack us next.”

“SpireClan gave them quite a few injuries to deal with when they attacked us, but that won’t hold them back forever. Flamelight, do you know how many of them there are?” Songpool asked with a careful veil of politeness, the same one that Stonefeather and Birdhowl used around her. 

“No, and I’ve only talked to a few of them,” Flamelight replied. “I really only talked to Vine.”

“As in Vinesplash?” Clawpelt wondered. Whatever had caused his scarring had also roughened up his voicebox, so he spoke in a growl tone. It was a little unsettling.

“No, they just happen to have the same name.” Flamelight flicked her tail in amusement. “Vinesplash is my mate Dapplewhisper’s littermate, though, which I find funny. Right here in this alley is one of the entrances to their den. Twolegs used to live here, but they left moons and moons ago. The leader then, Nero, took it over for his group.”

“It’s so dirty here,” Maplewing grumbled, poking at a piece of crumpled trash coming from a metal can. “The Twolegs didn’t care much about this place, did they? We literally have patrols to pull trash out of the river in StreamClan.”

“That, Clan cat, is something we can agree on,” a lilting voice said. The Clan patrol tensed as what seemed like thirty rogues leapt down from the surrounding buildings. Flamelight recognized Jet from her white face and her brother Snarl; Shine’s marked silver fur glowed in the sunlight; Crimson was the best climber of the group and could cling to walls with his sharp, curved claws; Bee’s constantly roaming wide eyes were too big for his dusky brown head. Vine appeared from his group, his long gray tabby coat unwashed, and ran up to his sister. Shell came out from the door and watched the scene with amusement.

“Maya! What are you doing here?”

“I am here to talk with Shell,” the yellow tabby replied calmly, forcing her emotions down. “And my name is Flamelight now. I- we- have a message from the Clan leaders.”

Shell moved forward, hissing at Vine to move aside. She almost stalked up to Flamelight, claws out and wavy gray fur rippling. “What is your message?”

“They want to meet with you to discuss your actions two moons ago. They want to know why.” Flamelight kept her tone respectful and fur flat, signaling for the others to seem as non-threatening as possible. 

Shell lunged suddenly, making Flamelight jump back in surprise and let out a hiss of protest. “I’ll tell you right now why I attacked those stupid cats. I’ll tell you my entire plan! I will take the Clans down once and for all, as Scourge failed to do so long ago. Tell that to your all-powerful leaders... if you escape us. You have a five-second head start. Go!”

Clawpelt, who had been on edge ever since they had stepped foot into Twolegplace, was the first to run. His old injuries didn’t stop him from being the fastest of the Clan group as they all pelted towards Clan territory. 

“Halt!” Shell called as the last Clan cat entered TreeClan’s woods. “We will let them live for now. Think of that as a warning! There is bloodshed to come.”

Maplewing had twisted his paw badly on the landing. He put weight off of it as he spoke, eyes wide with exhilaration and fear. “Well, we have our answer. They’re just crazy.”

The combined patrol limped slowly back to their meeting place. Branchstar and a gray-pawed black queen were speaking sternly with two small kits.

“Sorrelkit, why did you think that it was a good idea to follow me?” Branchstar hissed at her daughter. “This is important Clan business, and you’re much too young to be a part of it.”

“If it’s secret, why does Mom get to know it?” A ginger tabby demanded to know. Her sister, a black she-kit with gray stripes, nodded emphatically. 

“Branchstar tells me things because I can be trusted,” the black queen, presumably Nightwhisper, replied sternly. “I’m sure that Swiftpath tells Skyclaw what’s going on in the Clan but not their litter, who are a full moon older than you two.”

“I do,” Swiftpath said helpfully from beside Archfeather. “Kits don’t need to know about such serious matters as rogues just yet.”

“Oh- you’re all back,” Foxstar said, noticing the exhausted patrol. “Nightwhisper, please take Daisykit and Sorrelkit back to camp, where they belong.”

“My pleasure.” Nightwhisper picked up a protesting Sorrelkit and her Clanmate Brightwing took Daisykit away from the clearing.

Branchstar turned to face the patrol, annoyance simmering in her yellow eyes. “Sorry about that. My kits are escape artists now, it seems. How did it go? Did Shell agree to meet?”

“Not exactly,” Clawpelt rasped. “Shell told us that she wants to take down the Clans then told her cats to chase us out. It was pretty clear that they just want to kill us.”

“That’s not good,” Mothstar said. “We must all prepare for attacks. Can we agree to help each other? LeafClan came to SpireClan’s aid.”

“Yes, TreeClan will help any other Clan in need,” Branchstar said. The other leaders quickly agreed, and the group split up. 

“This is a bad sign,” Swiftpath said as the LeafClan patrol made their way back to camp.

“We will prepare. LeafClan is strong; we have survived sickness and we will survive this.” Poolstar’s mew was confident and his gaze steady. Flamelight agreed, for the sheer size and strength of LeafClan was enough to defeat any rogues.


	24. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time passes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: homophobia, transphobia, minor character death

**Chapter 20**

_ Swiftpath _

The next few moons after the Twolegplace patrol passed by rather quickly. Swiftpath kept herself busy by leading efforts to strengthen the camp with brambles and thorns. There was a natural wall of thick holly bushes around the rocky hollow that was hard to work with, but the dens were easier because they were mostly hard rock anyway. Cats could basically drape thorny vines over them and secure the entrances. The work was frenzied because the rogues were active and dangerous; half a moon after the Towlegplace patrol, the newly named Silentstar (with a few warriors and Whitestep) visited LeafClan to tell them of an attack.

The rogues had come at night, and only a dying guard’s scream had given StreamClan any warning. The Clan cats had put up a good fight and TreeClan had come, alerted by an apprentice, but the death toll was still high. Shell took Mothstar’s last life while Chestnutclaw died buying time for Riverkit and the expectant queen Softfur, who had since taken the heartbroken kit in until his apprenticeship. The elder Brooknose, an old friend of Swiftpath’s, had been killed as well, along with the apprentice Minnowpaw, Softfur’s mate Adderfeather, and Duskfang. 

“My condolances,” Swiftpath said seriously to the patrol that day. “They were all wonderful cats. Did the rogues give any indication of which Clan they will attack next?”

“Shell said something about leaves falling after she killed Mothstar,” Petalbloom, a short-tailed senior warrior and the new deputy, spoke up. “You seem to have prepared for them. Keep going, because I have never seen cats filled with so much bloodlust.”

The visit only served to make Swiftpath more nervous. She was losing her ability to fight gracefully and felt drained of energy after even light exercise, clear signs that she should retire. But she had made a promise to Heatherpaw and would keep it.

Keeping the kits away from the sharp brambles and thorns was the biggest challenge Swiftpath faced. Gorsepelt, true to her promise, returned to warrior duties once Blazekit and Fernkit could survive without her milk, unwilling to take care of any more kits for a while. Skyclaw had more time than her mate because Fawnpaw successfully completed her training and became Fawnpelt, an able, well-liked warrior. She fit in much better than her brother ever had. She got her warrior name in the same ceremony as Spriteheart and Treefur. 

Swiftpath tried to spend as much time as possible with her litter before they became apprentices, but it was difficult. She trained Heatherpaw with such energy that the tortoiseshell earned her warrior name almost a moon early, becoming Heatherbreeze. The deputy had enjoyed working with her immensely and knew that she had a bright future ahead of her. 

“Why are you retiring? You’re not that old!” Shalekit protested. 

“She’s served LeafClan well; now it’s time for her to relax,” Skyclaw said firmly with a proud look at Swiftpath. “Now sit still so I can get your fur a little bit clean, please.”

“There are several ceremonies to perform today. I am happy to say that Skyclaw and Swiftpath’s kits have reached six moons of age and are ready to be apprenticed. Now that they’re all gathered, let’s begin. Willowkit, until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Willowpaw. Wolfwind, you haven’t been here long, but you have shown yourself to be an adaptable and reasonable warrior. You received excellent training from Nativeflight and will pass on all you know to Willowpaw.”

The mottled apprentice, tail high and eyes shining with joy, touched noses with the surprised but pleased Wolfwind. Poolstar assigned Yewpaw to Patchleap, Trailpaw to Spiderwing, Shalepaw to Dapplewhisper, Bushpaw to Shadeclaw, and Falconpaw to Flamelight. All of the apprentices were thrilled, but Flamelight was easily the happiest with the situation, shock and then pure joy making her literally bounce up to Falconpaw. 

Swiftpath purred at her former apprentice and kits’ happiness as the Clan cheered for them. Then Poolstar’s tone became heavier. “I am both honored and saddened to perform this next ceremony. Swiftpath, please step forward.” Swiftpath froze before obeying, glaring up at the leader. “I know that you asked for this to be private, but I couldn’t help myself. You deserve to get some of the respect you’ve earned many times over.” He paused, emotion shining in his dark blue eyes. “When Ravenfang first suggested Swiftpath, I was quite honestly shocked. Not only was she a senior warrior, we had never been particularly close and I hadn’t paid too much attention to her. But then the sickness came, and I watched Swiftpath work all day in the middle of leaf-bare to hunt prey that she didn’t even eat herself. She, Nativeflight, Ferretleap, and Longheart really held the Clan together during those dark times. And since then, she’s been a better leader than I have. You have a confidence about you that comes from moons of experience and observation, Swiftpath. I am honored to serve as your leader, and I free you from your duties now to join the elders.”

“Swiftpath! Swiftpath! Swiftpath!” The elder looked around, and every face held respect. She felt proud of what she had achieved and the legacy she would leave. 

“One more. I say these words before StarClan, so they may hear and approve of my choice. Dapplewhisper will be the new deputy of LeafClan.”

The look of total surprise in Dapplewhisper’s eyes made Swiftpath sure that she was the right choice. “I- I am honored, Poolstar. I accept and will do my best to fill your paws,” she said to Swiftpath, who nodded mutely, sure that she would do well. Flamelight looked thrilled for her mate and cheered the loudest.

It was actually quite painless to move to the elders’ den. Her kits visited every day and Skyclaw was around much of the time as well. Being able to relax did wonders for Swiftpath’s energy and her side healed quicker. It was wonderful to chat about moons past with the other elders, and Swiftpath particularly liked getting closer with Fatetail. 

Wildstorm and Streamtail followed Heatherbreeze as warriors a week later, much to Sunfur and Darkwing’s pride. Featherpaw would probably take at least two more moons because he was still working out patrolling without hearing and Hazelpaw struggled to focus on her training. Stonefeather proved to be a patient mentor, but there was no stopping Hazelpaw’s jealousy of her siblings. 

Heatherbreeze and Hazelpaw fought constantly, over anything. Hazelpaw seemed convinced that her sister was conceited, even though the tortoiseshell warrior didn’t advertise her skill much, a quality Swiftpath found impressive and a sign of maturity. Heatherbreeze tried to help Hazelpaw, but only made things worse with her meddling. 

Swiftpath was deeply saddened by the drama when Treefur announced that she was a she-cat, not a tom. It wasn’t a new thing, but Birdhowl seemed to think it was. He still wouldn’t call Vinesplash by their pronouns and insisted that it was just a phase, so having a daughter instead of a son pushed him over the edge. He lashed out at Treefur verbally, deeply wounding her self-confidence and inciting Archfeather’s fury. The rest of the family (Spriteheart, Hailcloud, Dapplewhisper, and Vinesplash) all supported Treefur and refused to talk to Birdhowl until he came around. 

Treefur came to the elders for support, particularly the she-cats. “I just want to get some support outside of the family,” she explained with wide, worried eyes.

“I understand,” Fatetail assured her. “If my mother Snowflurry had been alive to see Appleclaw and I together, she would have acted the same as Birdhowl is. I knew during her lifetime that I liked she-cats, but I did love Curlpelt and my kits, so it wasn’t a huge issue.”

“Oh, my family knew,” Appleclaw rasped. “I had a mate and kits, though, so my parents could afford to ignore it. Swiftpath and Skyclaw caused a frenzy when they came out as a couple, I have to say.”

Swiftpath snorted and shook her head. “It wasn’t all just about us both being female. You  _ may  _ have noticed that Skyclaw isn’t even a senior warrior and I’m an elder- I was an apprentice with Nativeflight briefly. He and his mate Juniperheart were quite accepting... Fireshade and Bouncewind, their sons, not so much. What mattered was that Cinderstar didn’t think less of me for it, and eventually, the Clan relaxed about it.”

“But none of you switched genders,” Treefur pointed out. “I just feel that no other cat has this experience of being born into the wrong body.”

“That isn’t true. It may feel like it, but I know of quite a few cats like that. Maplewing and Petalbloom of StreamClan were born she-cats, and there are some non-binary cats as well.” Nativeflight lay on his side, his low, rumbling voice visibly calming Treefur down.

“Well, I can talk with Vinesplash. They at least have a similar experience,” Treefur said. “Thank you all.” The warrior slipped away. Jayheart, who had been pretending to be asleep the entire conversation, lifted his head and curled his lip.

“I don’t approve of shenanigans like that. He’s too young to know.”

“She. Treefur is a she-cat. You don’t have to understand it, just accept it,” Swiftpath hissed at the patched tom. 

“I won’t say anything to the kit, don’t worry. It’s not my place to meddle in others’ lives,” Jayheart said with a yawn. Swiftpath decided that was good enough; a cat that old had long-held opinions and pride. At least he was non-confrontational. 

All of this fighting caused the camp to have internal tensions as well as the external threat of the rogues. Their scents multiplied on the border and SpireClan reported it too at every Gathering, though the border patrols didn’t see any actual cats. Fireshade worried about it the most and absolutely coddled his kits, though for being born so early, they were growing well. Fernkit was spunky but sweet, charming the camp with her small size and naivety. Blazekit was already prickly but had an air of wisdom about him, just like Kitesnarl. Not that a young kit could have much wisdom. Swiftpath didn’t blame Fireshade because she worried about her litter whenever they left camp. Falconpaw hated battle training because of his tail, but it was necessary for him to learn at least a few moves for when the rogues attacked. 

Early one morning, when the newest apprentices had been training for less than a moon, howls split the air. Trailpaw, Spiderwing, Flamelight, and Falconpaw burst into camp, shrieking about rogues.

Swiftpath looked at Nativeflight. The time had come to fight for their lives.


	25. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: violence, some gore, grief, death, child death

**Chapter 21**

_ Flamelight _

Flamelight watched in horror as rogues streamed through the camp entrance, getting pricked by thorns as they burst through them but not stopping. The walls stopped them in their tracks, though. The tabby had little time to think as Jet pinned her, snarling, amber eyes now totally black. 

Flamelight clawed deep into the young rogue, hissing in protest. Falconpaw lost his balance while swiping at Jet, knocking both of them over. Flamelight reacted and leapt up, bringing her paws down on Jet’s head. She shoved her apprentice away from the now-crowded entrance, where Skyclaw and Longheart were clawing at the rogues that came in, and towards the Dirtplace tunnel. Willowpaw was fleeing, Wolfwind covering her tracks. The tip of Trailpaw’s tail flicked away as he ran too.

“Leave! Try to get another Clan’s help,” Flamelight ordered.

“I need to fight! This is my family!” Falconpaw protested, yellow eyes blazing. “I can balance, I promise!”

“I know you can. Your balance can be better used to get help from another Clan. Your mothers will murder me if I let you die, so go!”

Falconpaw gave in and turned, racing after Trailpaw and Willowpaw. Flamelight knocked back two rogues to let Yewpaw and Thrushpaw through, then she dove back into the action, right onto a tom’s back. He whipped around, and she recognized Vine. 

“Maya!” Vine snarled in a voice much lower and harsher than normal. His eyes were completely black as well. “I will give you one chance. Join us or die.”

“I made it moons ago. And my name is Flamelight!” She dug into his sides, biting down hard on his shoulder.

Vine howled and threw Flamelight off, bearing down on her with claws outstretched. She kicked out with a powerful thrust, sending him flying back into a blur of fur and blood that was Stonefeather and Bee’s fight. Vine recovered and slammed into Flamelight. Eventually, the siblings ended up caught in the wall, both yelping in pain from the thorns. The Clan she-cat’s training gave her the advantage; she blocked most of his rather ragged attacks and stayed free of his snapping jaws. 

Flamelight shrieked when Vine slashed a deep wound into her stomach and pushed back in pure pain. He slid into a particularly thick group of thorns, letting out a weakened yelp. Flamelight took a moment to catch her breath and then realized what condition her brother was in. She hadn’t hurt him too badly, but he was still much weaker than she was. He was basically skin and bones, his fur was patchy, and she could see how his ribs stuck out. 

“M-Maya,” Vine rasped. His eyes were back to their normal yellow-orange shade. 

Flamelight got up with a grunt and limped over to her brother. “Vine. What happened to you?”

“I- I don’t remember much,” Vine said. “After you left, we all began to lose time. Shell became bloodthirsty and preached about the evil of the Clans and mourning Scourge. I was upset over it and I’d never heard of Scourge before! Then we attacked SpireClan. Then StreamClan. I don’t know why, Maya.”

“It’s not your fault. None of this was your fault.” Flamelight helped her dying brother to his feet, wincing at the blood that he left on her fur. She led him through Dirtplace and into the woods, where she could scent Swiftpath and Skyclaw’s litter. 

“I’m sorry. I wish that I had stayed with you. Then- then we would have... had more time together.” Vine’s voice faded, and he fell still. Flamelight stared at her brother’s body, memories of him playing through her head.

_ “I’m an evil dog!” Maya declared, racing towards Vine and Twig. Vine charged forward while Twig ducked out of the way. Maya and Vine rolled around the soft Twoleg den, squealing in happiness.  _

__ _ “I’ll stop you!” Vine laughed. The siblings broke up at their mother’s stern mew. _

__ _ “Kits! It’s too early for this. How about you have some breakfast?” Hazel purred as her children cheerily came towards her. “Yes, that’s right, my babies.” _

__ _ Moons later, after Hazel had left them and Sophie had died, the siblings walked together through Twolegplace. It was early morning in summer, and getting hot. “We should find shelter. Twig can’t travel in the heat,” Maya said. _

__ _ “Twig can’t travel in the cold, either. He also can’t fight or hunt or even make his own nest.” Vine’s lip curled into a half-snarl. “What’s the point of even having him around? He’s a goner anyway.” _

__ _ Maya flattened her ears in shock. “Vine! Twig is our brother. We have to take care of him because he’s family. I will always take care of my family.” _

__ _ Vine inclined his head and sighed. “You’re right. Family comes before anything else. Hey, that abandoned Twoleg nest could be a good shelter!” _

__ _ Maya crouched, waiting for the rat to make a move. It tried to dart away, but she was too quick for it and killed it in one movement. She purred and trotted back to the alley, where Flame sunned herself on the hot pavement. _

__ _ “Yay! Food!” The bengal leapt to her paws, trotting happily towards her mate. “I’m starving. You did so well!” _

__ _ Maya purred at the praise and dropped the rat, offering Flame the first bite. The two she-cats dug into it, chatting lightheartedly between bites. Vine stalked out of his trash can den, tail flicking in an irritated fashion. “Oh, don’t bother waiting for me, lovebirds. I’ll just hunt for my own food, I guess.” _

__ _ Flame and Maya stared after Vine. The yellow tabby was crestfallen, sadness filling her green eyes. “What did we do wrong? There’s some left over. We didn’t eat it all. He’s been acting like this for moons! I don’t understand it.” _

__ _ Flame licked her mate’s ear gently. “I have an idea of why, but you should talk to him before I tell you my theory. Go on!” _

__ _ Maya followed her brother and caught up with him four blocks down as he ran. “Vine! Wait up. We need to talk.” _

__ _ Vine halted suddenly. “Yeah. We do.” _

__ _ When he didn’t say more, Maya let out a string of questions. “What was that all about? We weren’t going to eat it all! This is an issue that you’ve had for a while. Tell me why!” _

__ _ “It should be obvious,” Vine said. “I’m jealous. Ever since you got together with Flame, you’ve been spending more time with her than with me. I feel like you’re abandoning me. I thought that family comes first. _

__ _ “ _ Oh. _ ” Maya looked down, understanding flooding her. “Vine, Flame is my family. But so are you! I have room in my heart for two cats. I’m not abandoning you because I found a mate. You’re my brother and I’ll always stick by you. If I have been spending more time with Flame, I’m sorry and I’ll work on it.”  _

__ _ “That’s all I wanted to hear.” Vine’s tail came up as his mood lightened. “Now, what did you say about leftovers a minute ago?” _

__ _ “What do you mean, you’re joining the rogues?” Maya demanded. Vine stared back, ears down in regret and eyes wide. _

__ _ “I- I don’t feel safe now. Flame was the strongest cat I knew and look what happened to her! You should come too. They’ll be happy to have you.” _

__ _ May shook her head. “I’ve made my feelings on this clear. I don’t want to be a part of a big group of cats. How can you do this right now? Flame’s blood is still on my fur! I thought that we would always stick together. You promised!” _

__ _ “I’m sorry. We can see each other, but I really can’t be out here in such a small group anymore,” Vine said. He turned away, leaving his heartbroken sister in the dark of an alleyway- alone. _

Flamelight was reminded that there was a battle going on when a young cat’s shriek rang out. She snapped out of her thoughts and quickly cleaned her stomach, slapping some cobwebs on it before racing back into Dirtplace. A bleeding Yewpaw and a crying Shalepaw ran past her, chased by Crimson. Flamelight lashed out savagely, sending the dark tom howling into the woods, away from the fleeing apprentices. 

The yellow tabby tripped over a small body as she entered camp. She looked down, horrified to see that Bushpaw’s blue eyes were wide open and glassy.

“No!” Flamelight looked up to see Skyclaw staring at her son’s body.

“The rest got away. Where can I help?” Flamelight was crushed that the young cat was gone, but there was still a battle to fight. 

“The nursery!” Skyclaw managed. Flamelight hoped that the other she-cat would snap out of her haze soon and dashed away to where Shine was dragging a nest out of the nursery. Blazekit jumped off of the now-moving bed and ran towards a small hole in the bushes, but Fernkit didn’t move.

“Fernkit!” Fireshade called from across the clearing, knocking his opponent over with a savage shove and racing towards his children. “Blazekit! Leave them alone, dirty rogue!”

Shine only smirked. “Your daughter is already dead, silly Clanner. And your son is next!” She dove towards Blazekit, but Fireshade jumped in the way of her claws. He slumped, dead in seconds. Blazekit smartly chose to keep going, disappearing under the still-standing camp wall. 

Treefur and Budstream bore down on Shine, tearing into her and ending her life in a few slashes. Flamelight batted at Bee, who froze suddenly with every other cat at Snarl’s high-pitched cry. “Shell is dead!”

The black faded out of the rogues’ eyes, and they immediately stopped fighting. Bee looked at Flamelight, horror filling his gaze.

“What- what have we done!” The rogue cried, staring at the carnage around him. The rogues that could fled, leaving the injured and dead. Flamelight looked around, taking in the bodies of her Clanmates. Archfeather struggled to stand on a mangled back paw, and Dapplewhisper’s flank was shredded. Flamelight’s eye was drawn to where Shell lay in a pool of blood, a few feet away from Poolstar’s barely moving form. 

__ “No!” Willowpaw was back, bleeding from her left ear. She walked through the bloodied camp and to the small brown cat curled on the ground at the base of Callrock. Her remaining siblings re-entered the camp, gathering around Bushpaw. Skyclaw joined Willowpaw, curling herself around the fallen cat.

It was Swiftpath.


	26. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Swiftpath in StarClan.

**Chapter 22**

_ Swiftpath _

Swiftpath woke slowly. She lay on the soft, mossy ground of the forest, but she felt different. Like she could run and fight and jump again- younger. 

“Swiftpath,” a soft, lilting voice said. The former deputy looked up, blinking blearily at a bright ginger pelt.

“Fireshade?” She asked. Then her gaze cleared and she recognized the cat. While Fireshade’s fur was short and brittle, the she-cat’s pelt was long and wavy. “Juniperheart! How am I- oh. I died, didn’t I?”

“Yes.” Juniperheart’s amber eyes were serious as she nodded. “Do you remember what happened?”

Swiftpath thought for a moment. Her memories were coming back; the rogues bursting into camp, waking up the elders with their howls. The way their eyes were filled with black.

_ “There has to be a way out!” Swiftpath hissed. The sound of fighting cats permeated clearly through the bramble blockade that Jayheart had put over the den entrance. “A secret tunnel like the one at the nursery?” _

__ _ “The Dirtplace tunnel might work, but that’s halfway across camp,” Nativeflight said. “We should have thought of this! It’s an oversight.” _

__ _ “If we had made a tunnel, the rogues would probably have found it.” Appleclaw was channeling her deputy skills and taking the lead. “I will make a mini-den of thorns and brambles in here for Fatetail and I, because we can’t fight anymore. You three can.” _

__ _ “What? Whatever it is, I can do it,” Fatetail said. She had been losing her hearing and memory- signs of old age. Appleclaw was right to want to protect her first. _

__ _ “Nativeflight has the longest legs, so he can crouch by the entrance. Jayheart and I will block the mini-den.” Swiftpath pulled a thorn vine out of the wall, wanting to move quickly. It couldn’t be long before the rogues got into the den. Fatetail caught on and helped craft a rough shelter that she and Appleclaw ducked behind it once it was stable.  _

__ _ A black rogue was the first to take down the entrance blocker. He snarled as Nativeflight clawed down his side, and retaliated by jumping on the elderly but strong tabby. Swiftpath took on another rogue and forced her out into the open, away from Fatetail and Appleclaw.  _

__ _ “You’re a good fighter for such an old cat,” the rogue said as she tried to sink her claws into Swiftpath’s shoulder. The former deputy moved to the side and bit her silver paw.  _

__ _ “Is that supposed to be a comliment?” Swiftpath spat through a mouthful of bloody fur. The rogue’s black eyes narrowed and she sunk her claws into the elder’s side wound. She was younger and stronger than Swiftpath, who had fallen out of shape alarmingly quickly after retiring and hadn’t been in top form for moons beforehand anyways.  _

__ _ Swiftpath was pinned after only a short time, bleeding from many wounds and feebly struggling. The rogue was about to bite into her neck when a blue-gray blur slammed into her.. _

__ _ “Oh, so you’re killing elders now?” Poolstar snarled. “Coward!” He bore down on the rogue, who only smirked at him from the ground. “What do you look so mug about?” _

__ _ “Behind you!” Swiftpath managed to say, but Shell had already tore at the leader’s neck. He fell, twitching feebly, losing a life and out of the action for the moment. _

__ _ “Shine, deal with their kits,” Shell ordered the silver rogue, who got to her paws and slipped away. Her calm demeanor and practically spotless pelt contrasted with the violence and death around her. “I‘ll end this one’s miserable little life.” _

__ _ Swiftpath’s mind was working in overtime as the rogue stalked towards her. Shell was the leader of this obviously corrupted band of rogues, so she might be the root of their evil. She needed to die. The elder was actually at an advantage bleeding out on the ground; Shell didn’t expect her to be able to fight back. Shell gasped as Swiftpath suddenly lunged forward, sinking her teeth into her neck and hanging on as long as she could. _

__ _ Swiftpath hit the ground with a painful thud. Her last sensation as the world faded to black was sharp blood pouring down her throat and fur tickling her nose. _

__ “You killed Shell,” Juniperheart explained. “She was the first of the rogues to be corrupted by the Dark Forest and the base of their actions, just as you guessed. They fled after her death. You saved the forest, Swiftpath.”

“Not without too much loss,” Swiftpath replied. “Who else died? Who else will never be the same because of the blasted Dark Forest?”

Juniperheart looked down, grief filling her gaze. “See for yourself. The other dead are scattered around the forest.”

Swiftpath nodded and stood, stretching out her young muscles. The gray was gone from her muzzle and face and her strength had returned. She made her way through the trees, spotting Clanmates current and past as she went. 

Two toms walked together, one dappled ginger and gray and the other a ginger tabby. Currentpaw and Snakeclaw, Juniperheart and Nativeflight’s second litter who had died during the epidemic. Snakeclaw had been Swiftpath’s apprentice and greeted her with a familiar purr. 

“It’s nice to see you again. How have you all been?” Swiftpath asked.

“Just fine. I’m a warrior now- ancient Leafstar named me!” Currentpaw said excitedly. “My name is Currentfang.”

“Congratulations.” The former deputy dipped her head at the young tom before turning to Snakeclaw. “Are- did any of your family...”

“Skyclaw is fine,” Snakeclaw said immediately. “Father and Fireshade, though, are here. Little Fernkit as well.”

“How could you join me so soon!” Kitesnarl’s screech sounded. “I wanted you to protect our kits! It was already bad enough that Nettlekit is here.”

Fireshade and Kitesnarl, their two small children standing in between them, faced off a little ways away. Fernkit spotted Swiftpath and brightened. 

“Hey! Maybe she’ll know where Blazekit is!” The tiny brown tabby gestured for her brother to come and bounced over. Kitesnarl followed, relieved to be away from a doe-eyed Fireshade. 

“I’ve told you. Blazekit is in the living world and you’re in StarClan,” the queen said. She had always been rather blunt.

“I don’t understand that,” Fernkit protested. “Swiftpath, what’s going on and who is this cat?”

Swiftpath purred at the kit’s confusion and took pity on her. “This is your mother, who died giving you life. Fireshade’s told you about her, right? And Nettlekit is your brother. He didn’t survive the birth either.”

“I was dead before being born. I never saw the world,” Nettlekit told his sister. Swiftpath looked at Kitesnarl.

“Are all kits in StarClan this precocious?”

Kitesnarl nodded. “Oh yes. Archfeather and Birdhowl’s three dead kits chose me as their mother, and they’re even worse. It’s good to see you again, Swiftpath.”

“You as well. Where are the other dead from the battle?” The former deputy asked.

“Nativeflight is with Jayheart, Stonefeather, Gorsepelt, and Gophershadow at the edge of the woods. They reported to me that Featherpaw, Shadeclaw, Darkwing, and Hazelpaw also died, but they weren’t in the Clan long enough to get to StarClan. There’s a separate afterlife for Twolegplace cats with open borders and they’re free to come and go as they please.” Kitesnarl looked into Swiftpath’s eyes. “Bushpaw is here too.”

Swiftpath didn’t wait for her to keep speaking before running away. Not Bushpaw, he was too young. He’d had his whole life ahead of him and it was too much for Skyclaw to lose. A mate, a father, a brother, a niece,  _ and  _ a son was devastating.

“Mama!” Bushpaw stood at the edge of the clump of newly dead cats. “You’re here too? How?”

“This is what happens when you join the battle,” Nativeflight said reproachfully. He looked his old, energetic, well-muscled self, and all of Jayheart’s fur was back.

“I had to get the rogues away from Appleclaw and Fatetail. It seems to have worked.” Swiftpath loooked away from her old friend and to her son, who seemed cheerful for being dead. “And you. Why didn’t you leave through Dirtplace like I told you to?”

“I tried, but a white-faced rogue caught me,” Bushpaw said. “I think all of my siblings got away, though.”

“There’s that.” Swiftpath wrapped her tail around Bushpaw and approached Gorsepelt. The brown tabby was chatting with her brothers Ragepelt and Berryfoot but looked up when the former deputy approached. 

“I don’t even know what happened. I was fighting and then I was here,” Gorsepelt said with a helpless shrug. “Oh, dear Bushpaw. I’m sorry you had to die so young.”

“It’s fine. Half my family is here anyway,” the chipper apprentice replied. 

“That’s not a good thing.” Ragepelt shook his head. “I totally panicked when I woke up here- I  _ really  _ didn’t want to die. It was nice not to be sick, though.”

“I’m happy not to be so creaky!” Jayheart said. “And that Appleclaw and Fatetail get to live. They deserve a few more moons of happiness.”

Swiftpath turned to Gophershadow. “Are you sure that Hailcloud is ready to take on your duties? She is quite young.”

The plump medicine cat snorted. “Well, she doesn’t have much choice. But if any cat is mature and skilled enough to take on responsibility, it’s her. And I’m sure that the other Clans will help out.”

“I will go tell Hawkfeather right now.” Puddlefoot of SpireClan approached the group. “He needs to repay what your Flamelight did for my Clan.”

“That would be wonderful,” Swiftpath purred. “Bushpaw, how about we look around together? I’ve never been able to just explore SpireClan territory and there’s no borders here. Let’s go! I bet you can’t beat me.”

Swiftpath and Bushpaw ran into the starry plain, joyfully exploring all that StarClan had to offer. Swiftpath would keep watch over her family and see them again someday- but she was willing to wait. She had all the time in the universe, after all.


	27. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter! I really enjoyed writing this. Thank you to the people who read this story. 
> 
> I am starting school soon and will be very busy, so I want to focus on Endless Night and I found a good way to end it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: death, grief

**Chapter 23**

_ Flamelight _

Flamelight looked around her Clan’s camp. The strengthened wall had held up very well, and the rogues had been beaten back at the entrance. They were gone, but had left death and destruction in their wake. 

That thought reminded Flamelight of Vine. He would be buried in a communal grave if she didn’t take the time to make an individual one. She walked back towards Dirtplace, passing Stonefeather’s mangled body as she passed. Vine lay where she had left him, eyes blank and claws outstretched. She had given him a few good scratches, but none of them would have normally killed him if he had been taking care of himself.

Flamelight was a few minutes into digging his grave when Dapplewhisper found her. She was limping badly from her hastily dressed back flank. “There you are! You have to let me know that you’re alive next time. I thought that you might have... died... too. What are you doing?”

The yellow tabby paused her digging to comfort her mate. “I’m sorry. I should have gone right to you once the battle ended. But I killed Vine, and he was corrupted and sick and- I just wanted to give him a burial. He was my brother and my only companion for moons.”

Dapplewhisper purred. “I understand. Poolstar says that the rest of the rogues’ bodies will be put in a grave on neutral Twolegplace territory. He lost a life from Shell but seems to have mostly recovered by now. Can I help you dig?”

It only took a few more minutes to make a grave deep enough for Vine and four inches of dirt to keep foxes and badgers away from his body. Flamelight began to cry as she buried her brother. “At- at the end of his life, Vine wasn’t a particularly good cat. But I still remember the sweet kit who was my playmate and the clearheaded adult cat that never left my side through thick and thin and was jealous when I found a mate to spend time with. He was a great brother and I wish that this could have ended differently.”

The mates walked back into camp and helped diferentiate the Clan and rogue dead. Flamelight separated Jet and Gorsepelt’s bodies. Poolstar cried out when he saw the brown tabby, and Flamelight remembered that they had become mates in the last few moons. Iceshine, Budstream, and Spiderwing crouched around their mother. Skyclaw and her remaining kits almost totally blocked the bodies of Fireshade, Nativeflight, and Swiftpath. Sunfur lay beside Darkwing, murmuring heartbroken words over him and Featherpaw and Hazelpaw. 

That night, once all of the rogues were in their Twolegplace grave, Poolstar gathered the Clan for a wake. There were only two elders left, and neither of them were in the condition to bury their Clanmates, so Birdhowl and Longheart (both only lightly injured) took the initiative. Hollytail of StreamClan and Cloudpaw of SpireClan showed up to help Hailcloud, who was blind in one eye from a deep scratch, heal the wounded. 

Poolstar spoke as each cat was taken out of camp. “Shadeclaw was a newcomer to out Clan, but proved to be a loyal warrior and good mentor. He will be missed by all, particularly his longtime mate Wolfwind, who is seriously injured in the medicine den at the moment. Stonefeather was a strong, tough she-cat, opinionated and outspoken. She was a wonderful mother to her kits and a better warrior who followed the Warrior Code to a fault.”

His voice quavered when Longheart carried Gorsepelt’s body out of camp. “Gorsepelt was selfless. She gave up her warrior duties and offered to carry a large litter of kits for her friends, then took in another litter when Kitesnarl died. She was energetic in everything that she did, and I... I think that I could have grown to love her like I did Lightpelt.”

Flamelight noted that besides her blood kits, there were very few family of Gorsepelt’s family members left. Time, rogues, and sickness had destroyed her bloodline.

Sunfur sobbed through Poolstar’s speech about Darkwing while her kits stared blankly. “Darkwing told me not long ago that he had a hard time believing in StarClan. I was shocked, but then he made me understand that how he was raised differed from my experience. He always reminded me not to get lost in my own head and to consider lives different from my own. It is a rare quality that I very much appreciated. Wherever you are, Darkwing, I hope that you are at peace.”

Heatherbreeze just kept whispering her regret into Hazelpaw’s fur. “She died hating me. She died jealous of me!” She wailed. Poolstar’s eyes filled with sympathy as he spoke. “Heatherbreeze, your sister loved you. Yes, she was jealous of you, but I promise that she never hated you. She was a lighthearted, forgiving cat who would have been a great addition to LeafClan. And Featherpaw was working so hard to be a warrior and make a place for himself. He never let his deafness hold him back and tackled the world with a positive attitude. I will name these two. They deserve to be warriors. For her energy, passion, and intelligence, Hazelpaw is now named Hazelbounce. Featherpaw was hardworking, cheerful, and adaptive. He is now Featherstep.”

“Hazelbounce! Featherstep!” LeafClan cheered as their bodies were carried out of camp.

Poolstar on Gophershadow: “It was a pleasure serving as Gophershadow’s leader. He was reserved around aquaintances but absolutely hilarious when you got to know him. 

Poolstar on Jayheart: “Jayheart was a warrior before my parents were born, and always a good cat to talk to. He reserved judgment and allowed cats to speak their minds without reserve. He was an incredibly dynamic fighter and great jumper. I have so much respect for him and grieve his passing deeply. He did so much good work during the epidemic and it is a shame that future generations will never get to meet him.”

Blazekit sat between Skyclaw’s paws by Fernkit’s body, eyes wide and miserable. He knew full well that his father had died for him. Poolstar gazed down at the little kit in pity. “Fireshade lost his mate not too long ago, and a kit with her. He was always reckless and angry, but fatherhood transformed him into a caring cat and made him more sympathetic to others. Blazekit, do not blame yourself. He chose to save you out of love and grief, because Fernkit, sweet, sassy little Fernkit, died to. You have a hard path ahead of you, Blazekit, but you will have help. Never give up on life. Neither of your parents did- they tackled every challenge, every battle.”

Poolstar’s blue gaze focused on Skyclaw. Grief and fury shimmered all over her tensed muscles and dead eyes, though she still somehow had the energy to comfort her crying kits. Flamelight was running her tail gently over Falconpaw’s back and whispering soothing words in his ear. 

“Skyclaw, you have lost the most tonight. I hope that you can someday recover and will give you and your children all the support I can. Bushpaw was chipper and always had a joke or nice comment. Talking to him made my day. He would have been a great warrior. Nativeflight- well, he was the best cat that I’ve ever known. I will never be able to repay him for carrying the workload of ten warriors during the epidemic, and he never asked for anything in return. I could always count on his calm, rational opinion, even after he retired. He had so much empathy and expressed himself in a way that made me feel like everything was going to be all right.” Poolstar choked up then. “And then, Swiftpath. She saved us all tonight. She’s saved us all many times over, whether it be shutting down my idiotic plans as deputy, starving herself while working all day during the epidemic, or times before I was even thought of. She was so humble but also a confident leader, and had this perfect balance of reserve and sympathy. I am so, so honored to call myself her friend. She will be sorely missed by her family and all the Clans for moons to come.”

Over the next seasons, the Clan slowly came back together. Skyclaw walked around with a dark cloud over her head but became one of the most energetic warriors, helping fix the camp (though the defenses had held up very well and it was more a matter of cleaning up) and heal the wounded while training Blazepaw into a warrior named Blazespirit with intense focus. She somehow found time for her kits every day. 

Dapplewhisper healed quickly and took the scars that formed on her flank in stride. She proved to be a confident, capable deputy, channeling Swiftpath and becoming a great hunting strategist. Shalepaw came out as a transgender tom and prospered under her mentorship, gaining the knowledge and skills needed to be a great warrior. 

Flamelight kept herself busy training Falconpaw. She promised to be the best mentor possible and developed a close relationship with him. He was a funny, cheerful, hardworking apprentice, an intuitive fighter, and Falmelight was proud to have him. 

Dapplewhisper and Flamelight were only brought closer by the tragedy of the past moons. They wanted kits but were willing to wait a while; the Clan was still large and it was the midst of Leaf-bare.

One cold day, after Fatetail and Appleclaw had died in a bout of greencough and Birdhowl and Longheart had joined the elders, Swiftpath and Skyclaw’s kits were ready to be warriors. Poolstar stood on Callrock, looking much happier than he had at the the wake. “Today, I have the pleasure of announcing six new warriors. Yewpaw, please step forward. You have worked hard to understand the ways of StarClan’s noble code, and I commend you to them as a warrior in their turn. Yewpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?”

Yewpaw (who was non-binary) stepped forward. Their silver eyes glowed with pride and their mew was strong. “I do.”

“Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Yewpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Yewshine. StarClan honors your loyalty, confidence, and dedication, and we welcome you as a full warrior of LeafClan.”

Shalepaw became Shalebird, honored for his instincts, hunting skill, and compassion. Trailwing was honored for his intelligence, shrewdness, and energy; Willowstream for her wisdom, cool judgment, and adaptability; Thrushpath for his knowledge, sensitivity, and honesty. Then, it was Falconpaw’s turn.

“Before I name Falconpaw, I must acknowledge that Bushpaw should be here,” Poolstar said. “Now. Falconpaw, you have worked hard to understand the ways of StarClan’s noble code, and I commend you to them as a warrior in their turn. Falconpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?”

Falconpaw didn’t hesitate as he spoke. “I do.”

“Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Falconpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Falconheart. StarClan honors your kindness, intuitiveness, and bravery, and we welcome you as a full warrior of LeafClan.”

“Trailwing! Yewshine! Shalebird! Willowstream! Thrushpath! Falconheart!” As LeafClan cheered for the new warriors, Flamelight knew that this was where she belonged. There would be challenges in the future, but anything could be overcome with all of LeafClan behind her. 


	28. Final Allegiances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Final standings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Blazespirit is a warrior, I didn’t want to leave him as an apprentice. The other Clans are updated with new warriors, apprentices, and kits.

**LeafClan**

Leader **:** Poolstar- large pale blue-gray tom with dark blue eyes and black tail

Deputy: Dapplewhisper- stunning mottled tortoiseshell she-cat with clear green eyes and scarred flank

Medicine Cat: Hailcloud- young black she-cat, blind in one eye

Warriors: Skyclaw- dark ginger she-cat with pale blue eyes

Budstream- gray tabby tom with orange eyes

Shalebird- young brown-and-white trans tom with yellow eyes, bent tail-tip, and black paws

Blazespirit- young bright ginger tom

Spriteheart- black-and-white tom

Treefur- black-and-orange mottled she-cat, missing an ear

Patchleap- fuzzy gray-and-white tom

Yewshine- young brown tabby with small ears, scar on shoulder, and sharp silver eyes

Spiderwing- heavyset dark gray tom

Trailwing- young sleek-furred black tom with amber eyes

Iceshine- blind pale brown she-cat

Vinesplash- tuxedo cat with black patch on back

Ferretleap- large brown tom

Thrushpath- spotted gray tom with blue eyes and dark gray mask

Fawnpelt- black-spotted pale brown she-cat

Flamelight- pale yellow tabby she-cat with green eyes and long scar on stomach

Falconheart- dark gray tabby tom with stubby tail and bright yellow eyes

Heatherbreeze- tortoiseshell she-cat

Wildstorm- tiny gray tabby she-cat 

Streamtail- dark gray tom

Archfeather- black she-cat with crippled paw

Wolfwind- senior black she-cat, heavily scarred

Willowspring- brown mottled she-cat with long tail and torn ear

Queens: Sunfur- patched orange-and white she-cat, permanent nursery queen

Elders: Longheart- deaf white she-cat

Birdhowl- tortoiseshell tom

  
  


**SpireClan**

Leader: Foxstar- gray-and-ginger patched tom

Deputy: Lynxfeather- unique golden she-cat with black patterned spots

Medicine Cat: Hawkfeather- mottled gray tom with yellow eyes

**Apprentice, Cloudfur (gray tom)**

Warriors: Sharpheart- ginger-and-gray she-cat with green eyes

Wingpelt- white tom

Stormfoot- gray tabby tom

Palestone- white she-cat

Gustwhisker- silvery tabby

Galeswirl- young chocolate tortoiseshell tom with twisted jaw

Sheerpelt- thin-furred ginger point she-cat

Wrenclaw- brown tabby she-cat 

Pounceflight- pale brown tom

Jetfang- blue-gray tom

Quailfur- brown she-cat

Queens: Songpool- dark blue-gray she-cat with lighter paws, mother to Eaglekit (pale blue-gray tom), Harpkit (deaf white she-kit), and Lightkit (gray tabby tom)

Elders: Brightfang- ginger she-cat

Antstep- young tiny brown tom with smaller paws, unable to walk correctly

Rockfall- dark gray tabby she-cat, missing an ear and an eye

  
  


**TreeClan**

Leader: Branchstar- ginger mottled she-cat

Deputy: Patchclaw- black-and-white patched tom with gray eyes

Medicine Cat: Fallpelt- tortoiseshell she-cat

Warriors: Thunderheart- huge golden tom

Wrenstep- tortoiseshell she-cat with small paws

Brookfang- black tom with gray paws and tail

Opalclaw- black she-cat

Shinetrail- silvery-gray she-cat with darker underbelly

Daisystripe- black she-cat with gray stripes

Timberleap- brown tabby

Yellowburr- pale yellow tabby she-cat with knotted fur

Smallflight- ginger tom

Clawpelt- scarred gray tom

Sorrelsong- ginger tabby trans tom

Nightwhisper- black she-cat with gray underbelly, paws, and muzzle

Queens: Doeshine- pale brown tabby she-cat, expecting Yellowburr’s kits

Brightwing- ginger tabby she-cat, expecting Thunderheart’s kits

Elders: Swallowfur- brown tabby tom

Dustwind- brown tom with white tail

Flarespirit- ginger she-cat

  
  


**StreamClan**

Leader: Silentstar- pale gray tabby tom with yellow eyes

Deputy: Petalbloom- light gray trans tom with short tail

Medicine Cats: Whitestep- black tom with white paws, ears, chest, and tail

Hollytail- ginger she-cat with fuzzy tail

Warriors: Fishjump- silver tom

Sleekcall- long-furred mottled gray-and-orange she-cat

Beefoot- striped blue-gray tabby tom

Currentleap- gray cat

**Apprentice, Smokepaw (mottled dark gray tom)**

Maplewing- red-and-white tabby trans tom

Smokesong- blue-gray cat 

**Apprentice, Perchpaw (gray tom)**

Rivertalon- reddish-brown tabby yom

Tallfoot- blue-gray tom

Lightice- tortoiseshell tom

**Apprentice, Adderpaw (brown tabby she-cat)**

Softfur- gray she-cat

Queens: Justicetail- long-tailed silver tabby she-cat with white paws, underbelly, tail tip, and muzzle, mother to Heronkit (silver tabby tom), Rushkit (pale gray she-kit), Spottedkit (gray tom with silvery spots), and Dawnkit (gray she-kit)

Elders: Sageclaw- blue-gray she-cat

Shardheart- white tom with gray spots

**Other**

Chatterpaw- fawn tabby tom, kittypet

Crimson- dark ginger tom, rogue

Snarl- young black tom, rogue

Bee- dusky brown tom, rogue


End file.
